DOT PSP (Pre-Employment Screening Program)

The Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP), maintained by the US Department of Transportation (US DOT), grants necessary personnel access to commercial drivers' safety records sourced from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS).

The system was created to provide an electronic database to supply information, specifically for pre-employment purposes.

DOT PSP records contain the individual’s last 5 years of crash history, last 3 years of inspection history, and crash / incident details like carrier, state, and date.

A DOT PSP check is advantageous because it provides a more comprehensive report than a normal Motor Vehicle Report would. This principle only applies to businesses with employees that have a CDL.

For example, a Motor Vehicle Report will obtain information on a state specific CDL, but the DOT PSP search will obtain CDL data from all 50 states. If your business does not employ CDL drivers, a Motor Vehicle Report is more cost-efficient.

As an employer, your priority is the safety of your workforce and the public. By leveraging DOT PSP checks, you can ensure you're hiring drivers with a strong track record of safety compliance and responsible driving behavior.

The FMCSA requires entities to enroll and be approved in order to access their records. This process can take time, and even after being approved, the database requires a learning curve to search effectively.