• Employers should thoroughly investigate the information provided by driver applicants.

The following tips are provided to help employers obtain the necessary previous employer information:

• Contact people, not places. The most useful references will generally come from the people the applicant has worked for or with. Ask the driver to provide the names of former supervisors, managers, and even drivers. Be suspicious of any applicant who cannot produce, or refuses to provide, these names.
• Follow up on all requests. Most employers will not provide any information on former employees over the phone. If this is the case, fax or mail the request for information. Make sure the hard copy request clearly identifies the hiring person’s name and organization and the reason for requesting the information. Timely follow-up is critical. Many carriers have even developed a standard form that asks previous employers:
  • The dates of employment.
  • Whether the former employee is eligible for re-hire, and if not, why not?
  • What were the employee’s job duties and responsibilities?
  • If there is any other relevant or safety-related information the previous employer can provide.
• Look for incomplete, misleading, or omitted data. Often, irresponsible, or even felonious, drivers will try to obscure a negative or poor past employment experience by omitting a previous employer on the application, or by providing misleading information. This type of irregularity should be viewed as a major warning sign.
• Get a release. Develop and have the driver sign a special authorization to release information statement for all former employers. This should make the reference checking process more comfortable for all concerned parties. If the driver refuses, again, this might be a warning sign.

Warnings

Don’t just verify work history. Look for signs that the driver left previous employers under less than amiable terms.

For example, if the driver is applying for a position that pays less than a previous job, this could be a red flag that requires deeper investigation. It is highly unusual for a driver to take a significant cut in pay and benefits when switching employers.

Was the driver forced to leave because of a drug or theft incident? It’s the prospective employer’s job to find out.

Conducting a thorough and consistent investigation into the employment background of every new driver should produce the timeline and work experience information motor carriers need to make responsible and safe hiring decisions.

A final note on reference checking — expect it to be a frustrating and time-consuming process. Because of the transient nature of the motor carrier industry — characterized by high driver turnover — it is not unusual for a driver candidate to have numerous previous employers listed on the application.

But regardless of how many previous employers a prospective driver has had, if employers intend to go on with the qualification process, each one must be contacted.

HR topics to review as you hire motor carrier employees: Americans with Disabilities Act and Discrimination.