• Drivers’ previous employment records must be investigated within 30 days of employment date.
• All information must be kept in the DQ file or Driver Investigation History (DIH) file for the duration of employment and three years after.

The investigation of a driver’s previous employment record must be made within 30 days after the driver’s employment begins. Each previous employer the applicant worked for during that period must be investigated via:

• Personal interviews
• Telephone interviews
• Letters
• Any other means deemed appropriate

All contact with former employers, including verbal (personal or telephone interviews), must be recorded in writing. The record must include the past employer’s:

• Name
• Address
• Date of contact
• Comments received with respect to the driver

This information must be kept in the driver’s investigation history file (391.53) for as long as the driver is employed by the motor carrier, plus three additional years, in a secure location with controlled access limited to people involved in the hiring process.