• Employers should consider and beware of several factors on driver applications.

The following tips are provided to help carriers know what to look for — and look out for— when reviewing written application forms.

Look for:

• Legibility. The application must be legible if the information it contains is to be verified. An unreadable application may be an attempt on the part of the applicant to confuse or mislead an inexperienced or harried recruiter. In today’s environment, driver recruiters shouldn’t take anything for granted.
• Accuracy. Names, phone numbers, and addresses of each past employer should be accurate and easy to follow up on. A driver who creates too much legwork by providing inaccurate or incomplete contact information may be trying to hide something. In addition, make sure all dates of employment, traffic violations, and accident data match state motor vehicle records (MVR) and pre-employment screening reports (if used). A cause for concern is when information on a driver’s application does not match with other verifiable records.
• Completeness. In particular, make sure the application includes all required personal information such as the driver’s:
  • Complete name, address, date of birth, and social security number (SSN);
  • Addresses of current and past residences;
  • A list of all convictions of motor vehicle laws for the past three years;
  • A statement detailing any denial, revocation, or suspension of driving privileges;
  • A chronological list of all previous employers, starting with the most recent for the past three to ten years; and
  • Signature along with the date the application was submitted.

Look out for:

• Gaps in employment. Perhaps the biggest red flag to look for when reviewing an application is unexplained gaps in employment. Make sure to fill in the blanks of all employment gaps with verifiable information before making any hiring decision.
• Frequent job shifts. Why can’t the driver seem to find the right employer? An unstable work history is a warning sign and might be an indicator of larger problems with the applicant. A driver who has had five driving jobs in the last two years may not be a solution for a company’s driver capacity needs.
• Frequent moves in residence. In addition to frequent job-hopping behavior, also look for instability at home. If the driver has lived at three or four residences within the past three years, find out why. Is the candidate trying to elude or hide from someone or something? In addition, be suspicious of an applicant that lists a P.O. Box as a current residence. Again, the questions of, “Is this driver trying to hide something?” should be raised in this instance.
• No direct supervisor(s) listed. A prospective driver who fails to name specific previous dispatchers or supervisors on an application may be attempting to hide a poor work history or cover up a suspicious incident. As a matter of company policy, motor carriers should require applicants to not only list the names of previous employers, but the names of direct supervisors as well.
• Previous supervisors no longer work for the employer. On a related note, if the applicant does list previous supervisors, but adds that most (if not all) no longer work for the given previous employer, view this as another possible red flag.
• All previous employers are listed as being out of business. While the motor carrier industry does experience its share of corporate failures, be suspicious of any applicant who lists two or more bankruptcies or went out of business as reason for leaving a previous employer.
• Reasons for leaving are vague. Often, security is all about the details. Driver candidates who provide detailed and specific information on an application, tend to be the ones with little, if anything, to hide. Conversely, it’s the responsibility of the employer to probe for detail.

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