Goal

To use the new batch capability in the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) to obtain central index data for CDL drivers who moved to another State in order to authoritatively link Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) driving records.

Background

Roadside inspections and crash reports record a driver’s name, date of birth, CDL number, and State. For drivers who move to another State and obtain a new CDL, name and date of birth does not guarantee a unique match. As a result, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) cannot authoritatively link the subsequent MCMIS safety performance data for those drivers. Thus, in the Driver Information Resource (DIR) and in the Pre-employment Screening Program (PSP), the new CDL number and State essentially represent a reincarnated driver with no previous safety performance data. FMCSA is developing the ability in CDLIS to make batch inquiries for the driver’s license number and State for all licenses held by a driver. With that information, FMCSA should be able to link MCMIS inspection and crash records for drivers who have relocated to a different State.

Summary

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA’s) Research Division provided limited funding through the Analysis Division to work with the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe) to investigate how to augment the DIR processes using the new data from CDLIS to connect reincarnated MCMIS drivers’ safety performance data. The Research Division will provide assistance on this project on an as-needed basis to help establish an operational process for accomplishing these associations.

Outcomes

The data quality of the DIR data in MCMIS (and thus of the Pre-employment Screening Program [PSP] data for driver safety performance) will more effectively prevent reincarnated drivers from operating and will provide more comprehensive driver inspection and crash records.

Milestones

July 2014                Interagency agreement modification
February 2015         Report on how to proceed

Funding

 $50,000    

Status

Discussions initiated by FMCSA’s Analysis Division with Volpe on establishing this requirement.

Contractor

Volpe