Time to Switch to Electronic Verification

In order to hire new drivers, all transportation companies have to run Previous Employment Verifications (PEV) under DOT regulations. The PEV has historically been the longest step in the hiring process which slows down effective driver recruiters. In addition to the cumbersome nature of this rule, it can be confusing and vague. Nobody wants to be out of compliance, but there are times when it can be quite challenging to do verifications correctly.

Paper Verifications Hurt More Than Your Compliance Record

Through our experience, we’ve seen four common issues with a paper PEV process:

1. Paper is slow. Managers have relied on paper verification via mail, filled-out over the phone or an email attachment. Times have changed. Going digital gets you the answers you need quicker and documents your attempts.  
2. Paperwork may be misplaced or forgotten. Let’s say the mail gets your PEV to a previous employer in 2-3 days. This does not guarantee that they open the mail, actually read it, remember to fill it out and mail it back to you. Over the phone, busy managers may forget to call you back. You’re not their priority of the day. This happens all the time, and it’s nobody’s fault, but you could still cause you to be out of compliance.
3. The definition of “good faith effort” is vague and open to interpretation. A general rule we use is 3 attempts to attain PEV information. 
4. The previous employer may have strict policies about releasing any data about a former employer. While disclosure forms usually take care of permissions to attain previous employer information, some companies require more thorough authorization before they release information to outside companies. That process could take more paperwork and more time.

Third Party Companies Can Alleviate This Pain

Any of these common obstacles during the verification process can lead to non-compliance or incomplete qualification files. More than ever, the DOT is on the lookout for rule-breakers and places to assess fines. It only makes sense now to utilize electronic verification services to avoid these situations. Here are three benefits of using a third party company for verifications:

1. Faster Turnaround 

Requests are sent the same day and managers at other companies can quickly complete the form on a computer.

2. Save 20 Minutes Per Driver

Automation and outsourcing allow you to spend your time in more productive areas. Our average savings from the manual days is 20 minutes per driver. 

3. Pass DOT Audits

All of the good faith efforts can now be filed on one document with timestamps of when previous employers were contacted. You don’t have to worry about the PEV Record when you get a knock at the door from a DOT Auditor. 

If you are still using paper employment verifications, you need to join the digital age. It costs some money, but the benefits outweigh the costs by far.

Our partners like Verified First, Accurate,  HireRight or Asurint offer Previous Employment Verification as a service. Do the math and calculate how much time your spending each month and evaluate how you could use that time better, like recruiting prospective drivers. So why not upgrade to a less painful and more efficient process?