LexisNexis® 2012 Commercial Driver Safety Report Shows 9 Percent Rise in False Driver Employment History

Report also shows a surprising impact of regulatory changes on commercial drivers

ATLANTA – LexisNexis® Risk Solutions today announced the results of the third annual LexisNexis 2012 Commercial Driver Safety Report: Industry Insights, Analysis and Trending, designed to help trucking companies hire drivers smarter. According to the study, false or unverifiable history rose 9 percent points from 2008 to 2012 – topping this year at 38.97 percent. In addition, employment verifications tripled in volume during the first half of 2012, possibly indicating that companies are experiencing a driver shortage and are processing more applicants though electronic means.

The report also shows the surprising impact of federal and state regulatory changes on 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. Most employers are conforming to new DOT guidelines by effectively managing their driver compliance programs to accommodate these regulatory changes.

“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.

Other key report insights include:

• Most identified reasons for non-compliant driver qualification files—missing or incomplete applications;
• Most identified items missing from driver qualification files—MVR (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).

In the transportation industry, employment screening is far more than a pre-hire formality—it impacts the entire hiring lifecycle. Highly regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), it includes many moving parts ranging from post accident drug testing and DOT-compliant medical exams, to the detailed maintenance of individual driver qualification files. Consolidating all compliance and screening services under one provider dramatically enhances your ability to manage programs with strict DOT guidelines, as well as other regulations including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

The report includes excerpts and findings from a 2012 driver safety program survey performed by LexisNexis and HR.com.

The full report is available at http://lexisnexis.com/risk/commercialdriver.

About LexisNexis Risk Solutions
LexisNexis Risk Solutions (www.lexisnexis.com/risk/) is a leader in providing essential information that helps customers across all industries and government predict, assess and manage risk. Combining cutting-edge technology, unique data and advanced scoring analytics, we provide products and services that address evolving client needs in the risk sector while upholding the highest standards of security and privacy. LexisNexis Risk Solutions is part of Reed Elsevier, a leading publisher and information provider that serves customers in more than 100 countries with more than 30,000 employees worldwide.

Our screening solutions assist employers, non-profits and multi-family housing managers with making quicker and more confident applicant selections based on industry-leading background checks and drug testing.