Why Implement Background Checks for Your Trucking Business?

You don’t need to know every employee’s full backstory to know if they’re going to be a good fit for your business. But tight compliance regulations and increasingly stringent contracting rules mean that checking all of your prospective employees’ backgrounds may soon become a necessity for your trucking business. Here are three reasons why you should start:

1) Government Contracts Require Employees to Pass Background Checks

Government contracts are great for your trucking business. Once you are on the approved list to handle government shipping jobs or you have already won a contract, then they can become a stable recurring source of revenue. However, government contracts often have the most stringent standards when looking into your business history and the employees who will be handling their cargo. Make sure you can prioritize their shipments by making sure as many of your employees as possible can handle the job.

This doesn’t mean all of your employees have to pass a background check to be a good employee. Knowing ahead of time which employees you can assign a specific route and which ones you can’t is also important information.

2) Hazardous Materials and Dangerous Chemicals Require Specialty Licenses

Your employees will gain new licensing and increasing expertise the longer you stay with them. If you build your business to prioritize professional development so you can handle more and more specialized shipment, then you have to plan that out from the start. Many licenses and certifications required for hazmat and medical shipments require a passed background along the way. If that’s your plan when filling a job, check your prospective employees before you hire them.

3) Your Trucking Business Might Be Liable For Lost or Damaged Cargo

While a background check isn’t a final statement about someone’s character, it can certainly be a factor. If you want to be conservative with your hiring choices, use a background check requirement to help ensure you hire reliable and law-abiding drivers.

Are you looking to give your trucking business a step up on the competition? Then getting background checks for your employees is a great idea! Go to TruDiligence to get started.