For motor carriers running 6–30 trucks
Your driver files are
already deficient.
You just don’t know which.
A medical certificate lapses. An annual review gets skipped. A Clearinghouse query never gets recorded. It surfaces during a compliance review — at up to $15,846 per recordkeeping violation.
No charge, no commitment. If your files are clean, you’ll have it in writing.
$15,846
maximum penalty for an ongoing recordkeeping violation
11
records tracked, per driver
2
separate federal files every driver needs
30 days
to audit-ready, or your setup fee back
Why us
Built for fleets without a
full-time safety director.
If you run six to thirty trucks, driver files are somebody's fourth priority — and they fall behind quietly.
If you already pay for compliance software, it probably works as advertised. It records what you enter and flags what expires.
What software cannot do is manufacture a document that was never obtained. If eighteen drivers have no annual review on file and three medical certificates lapsed last spring, the dashboard will display that accurately and indefinitely.
Closing a backlog takes a person. That is the part we do.
What we check
Two files. Eleven records.
Federal rules prescribe two files per driver, and the second carries its own confidentiality requirements.
Driver Qualification File
49 CFR 391.51The file an investigator asks for first. Retained for the duration of employment and three years afterwards.
- Application for employmentAt hire391.51(b)(1) · 391.21
- Motor vehicle record — at hireAt hire391.51(b)(2) · 391.23
- Road test certificate or equivalentOnce391.51(b)(3) · 391.31, 391.33
- Motor vehicle record — annual inquiryEvery 12 months391.51(b)(4) · 391.25(a)
- Note of annual review of driving recordEvery 12 months391.51(b)(5) · 391.25(c)(2)
- Medical examiner's certificateExpires — up to 24 months391.51(b)(6) · 391.43
Driver Investigation History File
49 CFR 391.53A separate file. Must be kept in a secure location with controlled access and used only for the hiring decision, so it can't simply be merged into the DQ file.
- Driver's written authorizationAt hire391.53(a)(1)
- Previous employer responsesWithin 30 days of hire391.53(a)(2) · 391.23(d),(e)
Related obligations
49 CFR Parts 380 & 382Not driver qualification file records, but required elsewhere in the regulations. We track them so nothing falls between the two.
- Pre-employment drug & alcohol test resultAt hirePart 40 · 382.301
- Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse queryPre-employment, then annually382.701
- Entry-level driver training certificateOncePart 380 subpart F
Retention: a file must be kept for the duration of employment and for three years afterwards. Cadences are indicative; the governing rule is cited alongside each finding in your review.
Your dashboard
Know exactly where your files stand. Every day.
Every client gets a private dashboard: what's current, what's expired, what's due next, and what we're handling for you.
One readiness score
How much of every driver file is on record and current, with a plain verdict. Anything expired reads Not audit-ready, whatever the percentage.
Fix now, in plain English
Every expired or missing record, most serious first, with the next step spelled out. No guessing what an investigator wants.
Renewals before they lapse
Medical cards, CDLs, annual reviews and Clearinghouse queries on a 12-month calendar. Emails at 60, 30 and 7 days.
See the work we're doing
Prior-employer requests and other records we're chasing for you, tracked in the open. Your audit binder is one click away.
Pricing
Every record. Upfront pricing.
Every vendor in this category makes you book a call to learn a price. We don't.
USDOT check
Free
See what FMCSA's public data already shows about your drivers.
- Driver-fitness and out-of-service violations
- Your next MCS-150 due date
- Every record your fleet must keep
- No signup, no sales call
Audit-Ready Setup
$999once
We build every driver file to the federal standard. Up to 30 drivers.
- Audit of all eleven records, per driver
- Missing records requested and assembled
- Prior-employer inquiries drafted and chased
- Printable audit binder
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Monitoring
$8/driver/month
Records expire. You hear about it first. $79 monthly minimum.
- Alerts at 60, 30 and 7 days
- Medical cards, CDLs, annual reviews
- Clearinghouse query tracking
- Client dashboard and audit binder on demand
If your files aren’t audit-ready within 30 days of receiving your roster and documents, we refund the setup fee in full. Fleets over 30 drivers are quoted per driver.
Process
From roster to audit-ready, without the wait.
- 01
Send a roster
Names and hire dates are enough to begin. No driver personal details through the website — we arrange a secure transfer.
- 02
We audit and report
Written findings per driver against all eleven required records, each citing the federal rule it derives from. Free.
- 03
We close the backlog
Prior-employer inquiries, replacement certificates, annual reviews, outstanding queries — requested, chased and assembled.
- 04
We keep it current
Written notice at 60, 30 and 7 days before anything lapses, and an audit-ready export whenever you need one.
Exposure
What the rules allow FMCSA to charge.
Maximum civil penalties under 49 CFR Part 386, Appendix B. FMCSA adjusts these for inflation, so confirm current amounts before relying on them.
Recordkeeping violation
up to $1,584
Per day
Recordkeeping violation
up to $15,846
Maximum, ongoing lapse
Other Parts 390–399 violation
up to $19,246
Per violation
Who you’ll deal with
Hi, I’m Noor.
You will not be handed to an account manager. The person who reviews your files is the person who answers the phone.
I’ve spent years building operations software — inventory, records, the unglamorous systems businesses actually run on. DriverFileHQ does one job: driver qualification files for small carriers. We don’t sell telematics, ELDs, insurance or driver recruiting.
The practice operates from India for carriers across the United States. That is exactly why our fees are published, why the first review costs nothing, and why every finding carries the federal rule behind it — you should be able to check our work rather than trust it.
Scope
Work we don't undertake.
Worth stating plainly — it's the difference between a documentation service and a regulated one.
We do not pull MVRs or run background checks
Motor vehicle records are consumer reports governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Driver's Privacy Protection Act. Continue using your existing provider. We manage and monitor the records you hold; we do not procure them.
We do not administer drug & alcohol testing
Consortium and third-party administration is a regulated activity subject to FMCSA oversight. We record that your tests and Clearinghouse queries were completed and track when the next ones fall due. We do not perform them.
We do not provide legal advice
We are not attorneys. Every finding we report cites the federal rule it derives from, so that you or your counsel can verify it independently. Responsibility for compliance remains with the carrier.
Our promise
Four commitments, in writing.
- Published pricing
- You will never have to book a call to learn a price.
- Cited findings
- Every finding names the federal rule behind it.
- No lock-in
- Monitoring is cancellable with thirty days' notice.
- Your data stays yours
- Returned or deleted on request, never sold or shared.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
We already use J.J. Keller. Why would we need you?
Plenty of carriers do, and those platforms work. They give you the system. What they can't do is obtain a document that was never collected. We close the backlog — then the software you already pay for has something complete to track.
Do you pull MVRs or run background checks?
No. Motor vehicle records are consumer reports governed by the FCRA and the DPPA. Keep using your existing provider. We manage and monitor the records you already hold; we don't procure them.
How long does a rebuild take?
Thirty days from receiving your roster and documents, guaranteed: if we miss it, the setup fee comes back in full. Former employers don't always respond, so we document good-faith inquiries on your behalf, which the rules accept.
What do you need to start?
A driver roster — names and hire dates are enough for the free review. We never take driver personal details through the website; once you're in touch we arrange a secure transfer.
Can you guarantee we'll pass an audit?
No, and be wary of anyone who says otherwise. We guarantee delivery: audit-ready files within 30 days or your setup fee back. Regulatory outcomes depend on matters outside our control.
You're based in India. Why should we trust you?
You shouldn't have to. That's why the USDOT check is free, our fees are published, the setup carries a 30-day money-back guarantee, and every finding cites the federal rule so you or your counsel can verify it independently.
Ready when you are
Find out what’s missing.
It costs nothing.
Send a driver roster. We’ll return a written summary of what each file is missing, measured against the records required under 49 CFR 391.51 — with the rule cited for every finding.