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 $1,000 to $6,875 per record.
No charge, no commitment. If your files are clean, you’ll have it in writing.
94%
of compliance reviews find a violation
$5,000+
average penalty per case
11
records required, per driver
30 days
from roster to audit-ready
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.
Most carriers we speak to already hold a compliance subscription, and most of those platforms work as advertised. They record what you enter and flag 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.
Most carriers keep one file. Federal rules prescribe two — 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 — most carriers fold it into the DQ file, which is incorrect.
- 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 and commonly missed. 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.
Pricing
Every record. Upfront pricing.
Every vendor in this category makes you book a call to learn a price. We don't.
File review
Free
Find out exactly what's missing before you spend anything.
- Audit against all eleven required records
- Written findings, per driver
- Federal rule cited for every finding
- No obligation to proceed
Rebuild
$1,500once
We close the backlog. Up to 30 drivers.
- Everything in the file review
- We obtain and assemble missing records
- Prior-employer inquiries chased
- Files ordered for audit presentation
Monitoring
$199/month
Records expire. We make sure you know first.
- Notice at 60, 30 and 7 days
- Medical cards, licences, annual reviews
- Clearinghouse query tracking
- Audit-ready export on demand
Monitoring may be paid annually at $2,400. 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 — obtained 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 a missing record actually costs.
Published FMCSA civil penalty ranges. FMCSA adjusts these annually for inflation — confirm current amounts before relying on them.
Missing driver qualification record
$1,000 – $6,875
Per deficiency
Recordkeeping violation
up to $1,496
Per day
Recordkeeping violation
up to $14,960
Maximum, ongoing lapse
Hours-of-service recordkeeping
up to $15,846
Per investigation
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. Your records are stored on servers in the United States.
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
- US-hosted, returned or deleted on request.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
We already use J.J. Keller. Why would we need you?
Most carriers we speak to 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?
Most fleets of up to thirty drivers are audit-ready within thirty days. The variable is how quickly former employers respond to inquiries, which we chase on your behalf.
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 improve the completeness and organisation of your records. 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 first review is free, our fees are published, 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.