What Is A DAC Report?

The DAC report is a detailed summary of a trucker’s work habits and history in the industry. Approximately 90% of all U.S. long-haul commercial carriers use the DAC report for pre-employment screening, making the DAC report extremely important to truck drivers.

“In many industries, consumer credit checks have become a standard part of a company’s pre-hire process. In the trucking industry, however, there is the DAC report.”

DAC reports are voluntary from a company standpoint, although most medium-to-large carriers will participate in sharing information about truckers. The reports are provided by HireRight, a private, for-profit company that specializes in background check services. HireRight is legally bound to operate on regulations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). These regulations mean you are given a certain amount of protection when it comes to what’s on your background report and it’s accuracy.

What Your DAC Report Includes

Your previous employers will typically report the following information:

  • License number as well as restrictions and endorsements
  • Name and address of contributing company (employer) and date submitted
  • Employment record (on-the-job performance)
  • Driver identification (name, social security number, date of birth)
  • Period of driver service (month and year)
  • Types of freight and trailers hauled
  • Reason for leaving
  • Eligibility for rehire

Your DAC report can also include:

  • DOT physical information
  • FMCSA crash and inspection records
  • Drug and alcohol testing results
  • U.S. employment eligibility verification

Reviewing Your Report

DAC reports are treated the same way as consumer credit reports. Drivers are entitled to one free report every 12 months. To get a report, you must send in a Consumer Report Request Form, or you can request your free DAC report from HireRight online. It takes HireRight 15 days to process your request and send you a free copy.

Like consumer credit reports, it is important to pay attention to your DAC report. Inaccurate reporting and errors can easily end up on your report and can negatively affect your ability to work if not corrected. Periodically examining and correcting your report is just part of your job as a truck driver in the modern world.

Not only can carriers you have worked for contribute to your DAC report, companies whose orientation you attended can also report. Here are some key areas you should watch out for when reviewing your report:

  • Orientations: If you started an orientation with a carrier but didn’t move forward with the position, the carrier can still report on you even though you never collected a paycheck. Never attend an orientation session unless you are certain you want to work for a carrier.
  • Discharges: Try and leave on good terms with a two week written notice. A handwritten notarized note of resignation can prevent discharged, load abandonment and quit under dispatch. These are all  items that will hinder you from being hired by other carriers.
  • Drug History File: Drug test refusals and failures can cause big problems for drivers. Never quit your job after being asked to take a random test. Take the test first and then quit with written notice if possible. Any time you take a drug test, make sure to ask for a copy of the paperwork showing you submitted to the test. Retain this for your records.
  • Accidents/Incidents: To prevent an undesirable safety record from being placed on your DAC report, avoid reporting minor incidents when there is no damage or when you pay for the damage out of your pocket. Multiple incidents on your report will cause alarms to go off with your insurance carrier and lessen your chances of getting hired.

Should you find wrong information on your report, there are legal protections and remedies available from the Federal Trade Commission. Your first step in correcting this is to contact HireRight to file a free DAC report dispute. The investigation process may take up to 30 days and can be done online, by phone or fax, or through the mail.