§391.63 Intermittent, casual, or occasional drivers

Part 391 — Qualification of drivers and longer combination vehicle (LCV) driver instructors

Question 1: Is a person employed by a nonmotor carrier in his normal duties considered an intermittent, casual, or occasional driver when employed by a motor carrier as a driver on a part-time basis?

Guidance: No. A person who drives for one motor carrier (even if it is only one day per month) would not meet the definition of an intermittent, casual or occasional driver in §390.5 since he/she is employed by only one motor carrier. The motor carrier must fully qualify the driver and maintain a qualification file on the employee as a regularly employed driver.

Question 2: How does §391.63 apply when motor carriers obtain, from a driver leasing service, intermittent, casual, or occasional drivers who are on temporary assignments to multiple motor carriers?

Guidance: If an intermittent, casual, or occasional driver has only been fully qualified by a driver leasing service or similar non-motor carrier entity, and has never been fully qualified by a motor carrier, the first motor carrier employing such a driver must ensure that the driver is fully qualified, and must keep a complete driver qualification file for that driver. It was the intention of §§391.63 and 391.65 to require that a driver, before entering the status of an ‘‘intermittent, casual, or occasional’’ driver, be fully qualified by a motor carrier. In a contractual relationship between a motor carrier and a driver leasing service, this may be accomplished by a motor carrier designating a driver leasing service as its agent to perform the qualification procedures in accordance with parts 383 and 391. However, in such a case, the motor carrier will be held liable for any violations of the FMCSRs committed by its agent.

Question 3: Must a motor carrier that employs an intermittent, casual, or occasional driver to operate a CMV, as defined in §383.5, (1) require the driver to prepare and submit an employment application in accordance with §391.21 and (2) conduct the background investigation of the driver’s previous employers required by §391.23?

Guidance: §391.63(a) (1)-(2) exempts from compliance with §§391.21 and 391.23 motor carriers that use intermittent, casual or occasional drivers to operate CMVs with a gross vehicle (or combination) weight rating (GVWR/GCWR) of 10,001 pounds or more. These exemptions also apply to carriers operating the heavier CMVs subject to parts 382 and 383.

However, the more limited driver information and motor carrier investigation required by parts 382 and 383 are not covered by §391.63. Therefore, a carrier using intermittent, casual or occasional drivers to operate CMVs with a GVWR/GCWR of 26,001 pounds or more need not require an employment application in accordance with §391.21, but the driver must furnish the information required by §383.35(c). The carrier may conduct a background investigation of the driver’s previous employers (§383.35(f)), and it must investigate his/her previous alcohol and controlled substance test results (§382.413).