Once you begin hiring drivers, your compliance world changes dramatically. 

Now, you not only have to be responsible for maintaining your own qualifications, you must not manage the qualifications of other drivers as well. 

While the task may seem daunting at first, it's easily broken down into smaller steps. 

We've put together a free driver application for you to use in the hiring and onboarding of new drivers! 

It is a fillable form, so once an entry is made for one field (like the date), that is completed on the remainder of the form as well. 

Once your new driver candidate completes the first few pages, the majority of the rest of the application is completed for them. 

Viola! Time is saved from the start! 

Plus, our forms help ensure that you obtain all of the required compliance documents which help you put safer drivers on the road. 

Check it out below:

If your  driver served in a safety sensitive function at a DOT regulated entity within the last 36 months, you have to verify their past safety performance history.

This is currently required until June 22, 2018, when the FMCSA's Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse becomes fully functional. 

For years, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has been researching obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its impact on driving a fleet safety commercial motor vehicle (CMV).

The agency searched the scientific literature for evidence, conducted expert panel meetings of sleep apnea specialists, and developed and published reports. FMCSA’s two advisory committees—Medical Review Board (MRB) and the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC)—reviewed the reports, listened to sleep apnea specialists, industry representatives, and drivers, and developed recommendations for FMCSA’s rulemaking and guidance development.

Since FMCSA has no specific rule or guidance on OSA, medical examiners (MEs) may not require a sleep apnea study, CPAP usage, or recording of the CPAP usage.

The agency does not list specific criteria for diagnosis and treatment of OSA.

But FMCSA gives MEs authority to make determinations and decisions based on their medical knowledge, the results of the driver’s physical examination, and the current medical standards of practice.

As mentioned above, the FMCSA’s Advisory Criteria direct the ME to refer the CMV driver to a specialist if a respiratory dysfunction is detected. FMCSA expects the ME to gather additional information to ensure that the fleet safety driver can safely operate a CMV.

The ME must clearly understand and explain to the driver that the tests he/she is requiring are not FMCSA requirements.

Since the driver’s livelihood is involved in the ME’s decision, the ME should make practical recommendations considering the driver’s financial situation and lost work time. If the fleet safety driver can be effectively diagnosed and treated with less expensive modalities, those should be used.

Drivers diagnosed with OSA and using a CPAP must have a follow-up sleep apnea study.

FMCSA does not require specific diagnostic testing/treatment, but the agency permits the ME to use medical best practices to govern his/her decisions.

This nuance is very confusing for drivers, MEs, and carriers. Lack of specific requirements for OSA results in inconsistent qualification decisions. So, FRA and FMCSA are taking responsible steps to ensure they gather information to determine whether to develop a regulation or guidance.

Whatever their decision, it should be based on the most recent data and information. The best way for the FMCSA to make its decision is to publish an ANPRM (which it published March 10, 2016), ask questions, and obtain recent information from a wide range of people in the regulated community.

The best way the public can participate is to obtain accurate information about rulemaking, refrain from spreading rumors, and submit substantive comments to the rulemaking processes.

Like so many others, drivers fear what they don't know. Most automatically think of the photo on the left rather than the one on the right when they hear the term "CPAP." 

I believe that this fear keeps drivers from having conversations with their doctors about potentially having sleep apnea. 

As someone who has severe OSA, I can tell you that my life changed dramatically for the better when I started using a CPAP machine! 

Do some research, get your life back and please keep yourself and all of our families safer!!