Part 391 requires a carrier to maintain a qualification file for every driver containing the employment application, motor vehicle record inquiries, prior employer safety performance history, road test certification, medical examiner's certificate, and annual review of driving record.
The file must be assembled before the driver operates for the carrier and updated on defined intervals thereafter.
Alternative Names:
DQF, Driver File, Qualification File
Why it Matters?
The DQF is the first document set requested in any trucking case and the foundation of negligent hiring and retention claims. Missing prior employer inquiries, unexplained employment gaps, an unreviewed poor driving record, or an expired medical certificate each supply a direct negligence theory that shifts the case from the driver's conduct at the moment of impact to the carrier's decision to put that driver in the truck.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What must a driver qualification file contain?
How long must the file be kept?
