Firms Report Increase in False Histories of Commercial Drivers: LexisNexis

Employers tripled their employment verifications of commercial drivers during the first half of 2012, possibly indicating that companies are experiencing a driver shortage and are processing more applicants through electronic means, according to a commercial driver study by LexisNexis Risk Solutions.

Also, according to the study, false or unverifiable history rose nine percent points from 2008 to 2012, topping this year at 38.97 percent

The report also shows how federal and state regulatory changes affect commercial driver fleets. When the Department of Transportation (DOT) lowered drug-testing cut-off levels for cocaine in 2010, the industry expected to see a jump in positivity rates. While the LexisNexis report shows the predicted increase in 2011, it also reveals an unexpected decrease by 11 percentage points in 2012. For many employers, this could be a potential barometer of program effectiveness, LexisNexis said.

“Today, compliance within the commercial motor vehicle industry is more complex and employers are working hard to monitor and keep pace with these regulatory changes,” said Lee Rivas, senior vice president and general manager, screening, LexisNexis said.

Other report insights include:

• Most identified reasons for non-compliant driver qualification files—missing or incomplete applications;

• Most identified items missing from driver qualification files—Motor Vehicle Record;

• Most common reason for a limited medical card—hypertension (third year in this spot); and

• Most common drug on the rise—amphetamines (positivity rates more than doubled from 12 percent in 2011 to 26 percent in 2012).