Trucking can be a risky business. A carrier’s profitability depends largely on the state of the wider economic market, which can be impacted by everything from natural disasters to legislation changes. There are steps trucking companies can take to safeguard their operations despite outside unpredictability, however.
For example, carriers can create a regular practice of reviewing their drivers’ driver motor vehicle records (MVR) in order to flag any issues early and sidestep potential pitfalls in the future.
Outside of pre-hire background checks, carriers are only federally mandated to review these MVRs once a year. Doing the bare minimum, however, creates an environment that makes it easy for issues to fall through the cracks. The consequences of this can range from costly fines to financially devastating litigation.
“Every day that a disqualified driver operates a CMV is like waiting for a bomb to explode. If the driver is in a crash, the carrier will pay regardless of whether they were at fault. The driver shouldn’t have been there,” according to J. J. Keller Sr. Transport Management Editor, Mark Schedler.
It is important to note that the American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) 2022 update of the Crash Predictor study establishes the increased risk of DOT accidents if MVR violations are left unaddressed. Some of these most risky events are, unfortunately, also on 2024’s top roadside driver violations.
The riskiest violations include:
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A Failure to Yield Right-of-Way violation (141 percent risk increase)
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A Failure to Use / Improper Signal conviction (116 percent risk increase)
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A past crash (113 percent risk increase)
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A Reckless Driving violation (104 percent risk increase)
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A Failure to Obey Traffic Sign conviction (85 percent risk increase)
When drivers with existing unaddressed violations or disqualifications make these driving errors and are involved in an accident, the carrier can be held liable based on a negligent supervision claim. This all but guarantees a tough day in court.
“Reacting to driver violations when they show up on the annual MVR and delaying the correction of unsafe behavior almost guarantees an excessive verdict due to negligent supervision if those drivers are in a crash,” said Schedler.
More frequent MVR checks allow carriers to identify and address driver violations or license status changes much sooner. This enables quicker intervention and remediation before issues escalate. Additionally, many insurers offer discounts to carriers who conduct more frequent MVR monitoring. Monitoring gives carriers an improved risk profile and signals a proactive safety stance that can translate to lower premiums.
