As of March 8, 2023, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has made an important change to the Clearinghouse query notifications. The FMCSA will now notify employers if there is a change to a driver’s Clearinghouse record up to 12 months following a driver query.
The push notification will be in the form of a timely email notification, instead of annually queried manually. This is intended to close the safety gap that can occur if a driver attempts to go to another trucking company, while still employed with another, and receives a positive drug test.
The notification from DOT regarding the Clearinghouse update is below.
Query Notifications
The Clearinghouse will now notify employers if there is a change to a driver’s Clearinghouse record up to 12 months following a driver query.
Previously, after conducting a pre-employment query, an employer received a notification from the Clearinghouse if there was a change to that driver’s Clearinghouse record within 30 days. FMCSA has expanded employer notifications, as explained below.
As of March 8, 2023, an employer will be notified via email when a driver they have queried has new information recorded in their Clearinghouse record within 12 months of a pre-employment or annual query. The Query History will also be updated to reflect when new information is available, as illustrated in the screenshot below.
Follow-on query is needed to view new driver information
Note that new information in a Clearinghouse record may include changes such as an update in return-to-duty status, a removed violation, or a new violation. A full follow-on query is needed to determine if the new information results in the driver having a “Prohibited” Clearinghouse status.
The employer should complete a full follow-on query, which requires the driver’s specific consent, within 24 hours to determine if the new information prohibits the driver from performing safety-sensitive functions, such as operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV).
If the employer uses the “Send Consent Request” prompt on the Query History screen, they will not be charged for the follow-on query. The follow-on query will also satisfy the employer’s annual query requirement, and employers will receive notifications of changes to the driver’s record within 12 months of a follow-on query.
Make sure to check out our online DOT Training platform, DOT University! We currently are offering Reasonable Suspicion for Supervisors, Cargo Securement, Defensive Driving, and Pre/Post Trip Inspection. In the coming months, we plan on releasing Designated Employer Representative and Appendix A.
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