Driver Onboarding
49 CFR 391.23 requires carriers to request safety performance history from a new hire's previous DOT-regulated employers going back three years — one of several steps that can stall onboarding if it isn't run efficiently.
We run a structured onboarding process so a new driver's qualification file, orientation, and first dispatch happen in sequence — without the usual back-and-forth that keeps a truck sitting idle.
New drivers are running loads within days of hire, not weeks.
- 01Assemble the driver's qualification file during onboarding, not after.
- 02Schedule orientation covering company policy, HOS/ELD, and safety expectations.
- 03Confirm equipment assignment and first dispatch readiness.
- 04Check in during the first weeks to resolve any early issues.
The safety performance history requirement
Under 49 CFR 391.23, carriers must request the previous three years of safety performance history from a new driver's prior DOT-regulated employers, covering hours-of-service violations that resulted in an out-of-service order, DOT-recordable accidents, and any failure to complete a SAP-recommended rehabilitation program — completed within 30 days of hire, or documented as a good-faith effort if a previous employer doesn't respond. This step alone can hold up onboarding if it isn't initiated on day one.
Where onboarding delays actually come from
The gap between hire date and first dispatch is usually not one single blocker but several running in sequence instead of parallel — qualification file assembly, orientation scheduling, and equipment assignment. Running these as a coordinated process rather than a handoff between departments is what compresses that timeline.