All motor carriers must run a motor vehicle report on every driver at least once a year. And while that report provides an accurate snapshot of where drivers stand now, it doesn’t account for what may happen tomorrow or the day after that.
A lot can happen over 364 days: a string of speeding tickets, a DUI, a suspended license. If something happens two weeks (or two days) after your annual check, you could go nearly a year without knowing. Unless, of course, an auditor or roadside inspection brings it to your attention first.
MVR Monitoring closes this gap and gives carriers year-round visibility into their drivers’ on-the-road behavior.
What Is MVR Monitoring?
MVR Monitoring provides continuous tracking of each driver’s motor vehicle record. Here’s how it works:
- The system monitors each driver’s MVR for changes (called “hits”)
- When a change is detected, the system pulls the updated MVR to confirm what triggered it
- Once verified, your team receives the information for review
- Timelines vary by state, but typically take just a few days
An MVR hit isn’t necessarily bad news. A hit might indicate a positive action, like a CDL or medical card renewal. Or it might reveal a critical risk such as:
- Expired, revoked, or suspended CDL
- Expired medical certificate
- Motor vehicle accident
- Driving infraction (speeding, improper lane change, reckless driving)
Positive or negative, every hit goes through independent verification for accuracy before it reaches you.
4 Reasons Annual MVRs Fall Short
While annual MVR checks meet the minimum requirement, they leave several critical gaps in visibility and risk management.
#1: Self-Reporting Leaves Too Much to Chance
Drivers must notify their employers of any violations within 30 days. But when coming clean could cost them their job, there’s a strong incentive to stay quiet.
A single speeding ticket might not warrant termination, but it can be the first sign of a larger pattern of risky behavior. Without continuous monitoring, carriers may not learn about issues for months, losing the chance to intervene early with coaching or corrective action before problems escalate.
#2: Auditors Expect You to Know (and to Prove It)
If one of your drivers is operating with a suspended CDL, an expired medical card, or a pattern of unsafe driving behavior, regulators expect you to know about it. And “we didn’t know” isn’t an excuse they’ll accept.
But knowing isn’t enough. When an auditor reviews your records, they want to see what you did about it. Did you catch the issue? Did you document it? Did you take corrective action?
MVR Monitoring helps on both fronts. It alerts you to problems as they occur and creates a paper trail showing that you responded. Carriers who can demonstrate swift corrective action are in a much better position than those scrambling to explain why a violation slipped through the cracks.
#3: Violations You Don’t Know About Can Still Cost You
Research from the American Transportation Research Institute shows that drivers with certain violations are significantly more likely to be involved in future crashes. Drivers with reckless driving violations are 114% more likely to have a future crash. Drivers with failure-to-yield violations are 141% more likely.
If one of your drivers causes an accident and it comes out that they had a history of violations you never addressed, the liability exposure is enormous. MVR Monitoring helps you identify at-risk drivers early so you to intervene with coaching, retraining, or removal from service before an incident occurs.
#4: Insurance Carriers Are Paying Attention Too
Insurance is one of the biggest challenges facing motor carriers today. Underwriters want to see that you’re actively managing driver risk, and some providers now require MVR monitoring as a condition of coverage. Even when it’s not required, a proactive approach to fleet safety can work in your favor when insurers are evaluating your risk profile and setting your rates.
How US Compliance Services Makes It Simple
US Compliance Services offers MVR Monitoring as part of its comprehensive DOT compliance portal. In addition to managing drug and alcohol testing files, Driver Qualification files, and Clearinghouse requirements, carriers can enroll drivers in continuous MVR Monitoring for real-time record updates.
US Compliance handles all FCRA requirements, including driver authorizations and proper notification procedures.
Instead of chasing paperwork, pulling manual reports, and hoping nothing slips through the cracks, carriers gain a clear, automated view of driver qualifications year-round.
Annual MVR checks may be the baseline requirement, but continuous monitoring is quickly becoming the smarter standard. If you’re ready to close the gaps and protect your business, contact our team today to learn more.
