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Transportation Spotlight From the HireRight Employment Screening Benchmarking Survey 2013 Edition
Transportation Spotlight
From the HireRight Employment Screening Benchmarking Survey 2013 Edition
HireRight Transportation Spotlight | 2013 Edition 2
Purpose, Methodology, and ConsiderationsThe HireRight Transportation Spotlight addresses
common screening practices and policies and explores
issues and trends affecting screening programs.
Differences between a company’s practices and policies
and the results of this survey do not necessarily suggest
strengths or weaknesses, but simply offer an opportunity
to evaluate programs in light of your peers and explore
best practices.
The survey was conducted using an online
questionnaire, and results were combined and reported
anonymously. In interpreting the results, figures may
not add up to 100% due to rounding or may exceed
100% when multiple responses were allowed. In some
instances, prior year comparisons are made to help
understand potential trends. For more information,
download the full HireRight 2013 Employment Screening
Benchmarking Report.
Respondent ProfileThe HireRight Transportation Spotlight includes
both HireRight customers and non-customers, and
respondents represent companies of all sizes. Seventy-
seven percent of the respondents were from companies
with fewer than 500 employees.
� The majority (82%) of respondents were from
companies that employ regulated transportation
workers classified as trucking, followed by shipping
(11%), bus (9%), airline (5%), and rail (3%).
� Since the survey required extensive knowledge of the overall business, 82% of the respondents identified themselves as an executive, director, administrator, owner, or manager.
� When asked which department sets employment screening policies, 61% of respondents were from Human Resources, followed by Safety/Security (58%), Executive (31%), and Legal/Compliance (21%).
IntroductionThe HireRight 2013 Employment Screening Benchmarking Report is based on a survey of nearly 1,700 human
resources, talent management, recruiting, security, safety, and other professionals from a wide range of industries
and company sizes. Of the total survey respondents, 23% indicated that their primary industry was Transportation,
while 36% of respondents from the remaining industries stated that they had a regulated transportation workforce.
The Transportation Spotlight is based on general survey question results and responses made to transportation-
specific questions.
HireRight Transportation Spotlight | 2013 Edition 3
2013 Business Outlook/Challenges
The gradual growth in demand for transportation
services is reflected in the overall optimism in hiring.
Consistent with last year’s findings, more than 70%
of respondents expect an increase in their workforce
size over the next 12 months. However, 34% anticipate
a modest increase between 1% and 4%, while 28%
expect an increase of 5% or more. Almost a quarter
(23%) of the companies surveyed expect that most or
at least half of the attributed growth will be from the
use of contingent workers.
The top three business challenges for transportation
companies this year are finding and retaining quality
talent (61%), regulatory change and compliance (39%),
and managing risk (26%). Compared to last year’s results,
finding and retaining quality talent went up by seven
percentage points representing a significant increase
indicating that the hiring environment is becoming
increasingly more difficult as hiring managers are
competing for qualified drivers. The third challenge
reported last year was cost containment at 24%; this year,
it fell to the fifth spot which implies that respondents feel
the transportation sector is recovering and goes hand in
hand with the overall optimism in hiring.
Given the top business challenge of finding and
retaining quality workers, it is no surprise that the top
talent management challenge of 2013 is attracting and
retaining experienced employees. A majority of the
respondents (87%) are concerned with attracting and
retaining both experienced and entry-level workers as
well as being able to appeal to multiple generations.
Increasing competition for quality drivers continues
to put pressure on hiring managers. While turnover is
high, there is a very real prospect that this pressure
to hire quality drivers could worsen once the U.S.
economy improves. As other sectors, such as home
construction and manufacturing, continue to show
signs of recovery, many drivers may take jobs outside
the transportation industry to allow them to spend
more time with their families. Investments in effective
training programs and developing loyalty programs
will help companies gain a competitive advantage.
In order to attract quality talent, almost three-quarters
(73%) of the respondents surveyed have taken steps
to improve the job candidate’s experience, with an
additional 8% planning to make this a priority. Clearly,
there is an increased emphasis this year on improving
talent-related initiatives and programs.
Optimistic Hiring Outlook Tempered by the Need for Quality Employees
Expected Change to Workforce in 2013
Increase 1% to 4%34%
No Change24%
Increase 5% to 9%18%
Not sure, but willprobably increase
11%
Increase 10%or more
10%
Decline 1% to 4% 1%
Decline 5% to 9% 1%
Decline 10% or more1%
Not sure, but willprobably decrease - 1%
HireRight Transportation Spotlight | 2013 Edition 4
Finding, retaining, anddeveloping quality talent
Regulatory changesand compliance
Revenue growth
Cost containment
Creating/sustainingcompetitive advantages
Managing risk
Global economic conditions
Improved business systemsand analytics
Privacy andinformation security
Not currentlyexperiencing challenges
Access to credit or funding
Other2013 2012
61%54%
39%
26%
39%
21%
25%0%
19%24%
17%16%
14%21%
11%13%
11%9%
7%8%
3%5%
1%1%
Top Business Challenges
2013 2012
Top Talent Management ChallengesAttracting and retainingexperienced employees
Transferring knowledgeamong employees
Attracting and retainingentry-level employees
Appealing tomultiple generations
Obtaining support fortalent management initiatives
None currently
Obtaining support forscreening initiatives
Managing theextended workforce
Managing changesin workforce size
Managing large poolof potential retirees
Other
57%58%
25%23%
19%19%
19%0%
11%11%
10%9%
7%8%
4%4%
4%
4%
6%
3%
1%0%
HireRight Transportation Spotlight | 2013 Edition 5
Transportation Industry Background Screening Practices
Survey results confirm that the top benefits realized
from employment screening remain consistent from
year to year: improved quality of hire, improved safety
and security, improved regulatory compliance, reduced
negligent hiring risks, and reduced employee turnover.
The value of screening is reinforced by a large majority
of respondents (82%) who have had, or know someone
who has had, a person lie on his or her resume.
While each company is unique in its risk tolerance,
objectives, and needs, experience has shown that
it is a best practice to screen above the minimum
requirements stipulated by the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Department of
Transportation (DOT). The types of background checks
performed above regulatory requirements reported
by respondents are Commercial Driver’s License
Information System (86%), Pre-Employment Screening
Program (PSP) (81%), identity (73%), and criminal (70%).
In April 2012, the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) issued guidance on the use of
criminal records in employment decisions. While
this guidance does not mean that companies should
no longer use criminal records for screening, 43%
of respondents indicated that they had made some
policy changes as a result of the legislative changes,
with another 12% planning to make changes. More
than half (54%) of the respondents continue to utilize
national criminal record searches. The rationale
for seeking this information is to reduce the risk of
criminal behavior in the workplace and related civil
liabilities by excluding applicants who may be likely
to re-engage in criminal activity that could potentially
pose a risk to a company and its employees and
customers.
Continuously evaluating screening programs to
identify potential gaps is valuable in light of the
FMCSA Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA)
program that assigns a safety rating to transportation
companies. Forty percent of respondents review their
employment screening program more than once a year,
and an additional 41% review it at least once a year.
Trends Continue for Screening Above the Minimum Regulatory Requirements
2013 2012
Types of Screens Performed
Criminal
Identity
Employment
Education
Motor vehiclerecords
State registry
Professionallicense
References
Fingerprinting
Credit
Sanctions
92%92%
86%76%
73%78%
71%68%
42%21%
27%27%
27%19%
14%14%
8%7%
7%
4%9%
2%
HireRight Transportation Spotlight | 2013 Edition 6
2013 2012
Types of Background Checks PerformedAbove Regulatory Requirements
Commercial Driver’s LicenseInformation System (CDLIS)
Pre-EmploymentScreening Program (PSP)
Criminal
References
Credit
Identity
Other
Education
86%87%
81%81%
73%71%
70%78%
48%43%
24%16%
5%11%
0%1%
2013 2012
Types of Criminal Checks Performed onTransportation Workforce
National criminal record search
County level searches forfelonies and misdemeanors
Federal criminal district search
Do not conductcriminal checks
Other
State repository searches
International criminal searches
FBI fingerprint search
54%72%
42%62%
35%52%
21%27%
21%3%
6%7%
2%2%
2%4%
HireRight Transportation Spotlight | 2013 Edition 7
With a shortage of trained professionals in most
areas of the country, companies are competing for
available talent and are attempting to leverage their
screening tools to compete more effectively. The two
most challenging aspects of employment screening
for the transportation workforce are completing
prior employment verifications (58%) and reducing
the time to hire (49%). While these were important
considerations last year, the gap seems to be widening
from last year’s findings at 39% and 27%, respectively.
Most transportation companies recognize the need
to ramp up their talent-related initiatives and plan
on evaluating the following programs this year: 39%
plan on reviewing their current employment screening
programs and policies, 20% plan on reviewing
their education and employment verifications, and
another 20% plan on looking at their drug and
alcohol screening solutions. To alleviate the burden
of managing the entire application process, 13% of
respondents plan on evaluating their applicant tracking
system and the way they manage their I-9 process.
When respondents were asked what processes they
are planning on improving this year, 35% said they
will focus on the recruitment process, 23% on driver
qualification file management, and 20% on driver
monitoring.
This year marks the first time respondents were asked
which categories of metrics are being used to track
program success. More than half (55%) indicated that
they measure candidate quality, followed by hiring
costs (35%), and time to hire (32%).
Metrics Tracked to MeasureProgram Success
Candidate quality 55%
Hiring costs
Time to hire
Applicant
Policy adherence
35%
24%
19%
32%
None
Other
1%
1%
Talent Shortfalls with the Need to Hire Faster Are Driving Program Evaluations and Improvements
HireRight Transportation Spotlight | 2013 Edition 8
2013 2012
Most Challenging Aspect of EmploymentScreening for Transportation Workforce
Completing prioremployment verifications
Reducing time to hire
Keeping consistent policyacross facilities
Implementing consistent,efficient procedures
Managing recurring screeningfor existing employees
Complying with state/federal regulations
Integrating with othertech systems
Other
Tracking certificationsor licenses
58%39%
49%27%
27%18%
17%5%
16%4%
14%1%
1%
1%1%
10%3%
8%
2013 2012
Transportation Workforce Hiring/ScreeningProcesses Planning to Improve
Recruitment process
No changes are planned
Driver monitoring
Employment/educationverifications
Driver qualificationfile management
Drug/alcohol andhealth screenings
Employment eligibilityI-9/E-Verify
Other
Background checking programs
Contingent workforcescreening
35%38%
27%44%
23%19%
20%15%
19%21%
16%17%
10%12%
7%7%
1%
1%
2%
0%
HireRight Transportation Spotlight | 2013 Edition 9
Drug & Alcohol Screening Practices
Since drug and alcohol testing is mandated within the
Transportation industry, the majority of respondents
(94%) conduct tests on job applicants, while 87% also
screen current employees. Only 19% conduct tests on
contingent or temporary workers. More than half (58%)
have the same drug and alcohol testing policy for
everyone in the company, while 20% vary their testing
according to the position within the company, 12%
vary policies by department, and 8% vary by type of
employment (permanent, temporary).
Types of tests used are varied: 94% use urine, 67%
use breath, and 7% use hair (up by 3% over last year).
A bill introduced in December 2012 requires the DOT
to conduct a pilot program to evaluate the use of hair
samples for pre-employment screening of commercial
motor vehicle drivers for illicit drug use. As the findings
from this study progress, we expect the use of hair
testing to increase in popularity.
Testing locations are important in ensuring accurate
results, and this validates the high use of professional
collection facilities/labs for conducting tests (94%).
Twenty-five percent of respondents do testing on-
site at the workplace, and 6% use a mobile lab. Only
38% of companies use electronic chain of custody
forms for non-DOT testing; however, 9% plan to use
them. Currently there are ongoing discussions to
accommodate electronic chain of custody for DOT, but
no confirmation date has been set for implementation.
Even though several states have approved the medical
use of marijuana, the DOT does not authorize the use of
Schedule I drugs, including marijuana, for any reason.
A small number of respondents (14%) indicated that
they have a medical marijuana policy in place, and 8%
are planning to implement one. These numbers varied
slightly from 2012 (11% and 7%, respectively). Among
those respondents who have a policy in place, only 9%
said that they will not take adverse action against a job
candidate or current employee for positive test results.
Although the Environment Is Changing, Practices Remain Consistent
2013 2012
Drug/Alcohol Tests Performed
Urine
Breath alcohol test
Hair
Blood
Saliva
Other
94%97%
67%68%
11%9%
7%4%
6%5%
1%0%
HireRight Transportation Spotlight | 2013 Edition 10
2013 2012
Timing of Drug/Alcohol TestingAs needed for
random sampling
Prior to first day
During incident investigations
Immediately after start
With transfers or promotions
Upon reasonable suspicion
Other
At predetermined intervals
93%92%
90%93%
77%77%
72%71%
9%8%
5%4%
3%3%
0%0%
2013 2012
Use of Electronic Chain of Custody Forms for Non-DOT Testing
Yes
No, no plans at this time
No, but planning to
57%53%
39%38%
4%9%
HireRight Transportation Spotlight | 2013 Edition 11
I-9
The management of employment eligibility processes,
including those for I-9 and E-Verify, is most often
manual, with 67% of respondents indicating they store
I-9 forms in paper format only, 29% using a combined
paper/digital mix, and only 4% using a digital storage
format. Given the increasing and evolving regulatory
requirements for I-9 forms, this can be a potential risk
for a company. Upgrading to an electronic Form 1-9
solution can help to prevent mistakes and facilitate
compliance by providing error messages for incomplete
or incorrect paperwork and issuing automatic
reminders prior to employment authorization expiring.
Managing the eligibility of remote employees can also
be a challenge. The most frequent method for updating
I-9 forms for off-site employees is through the use of
designated local employees (72%), followed by sending
representatives (15%) or notaries (11%) to the employees.
The use of E-Verify remains consistent with last year’s
results: 38% used E-Verify in 2013 and 37% in 2012.
Eleven percent are planning to use it in the near
future. Of those who do use E-Verify, the top reasons
were to be compliant with state/local regulations
(66%), to be compliant with federal contracts (46%),
and voluntary participation (27%).
Compared with last year, there was a drop in the
overall confidence level of being prepared for a U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Notice of
Inspection within a three-day period. Only 59% of
respondents feel that they are very or completely
prepared, compared with 68% last year. A small
number of companies (15%) have been through an
audit with an outside organization (7% by a third party
and 8% by a government auditor). A little over two-
thirds (68%) of transportation companies are satisfied
with their current I-9 policies and programs, rating
themselves 8 or above on a scale of 1-10, with 10
being excellent. This satisfaction level is down slightly
from 72% in 2012.
Shift in Confidence Levels Tied to Concerns Over Increased Requirements
2013 2012
Storage of Completed I-9 Forms
Paper only
Paper and digital
Digital only
64%67%
6%4%
30%29%
HireRight Transportation Spotlight | 2013 Edition 12
2013 2012
Preparedness for an ICE Notice of Inspection Within Three Days
Very prepared
Somewhat prepared
Not prepared
Barely prepared
Completely prepared
44%47%
28%24%
15%21%
9%7%
4%1%
2013 2012
Satisfaction with Employment Eligibility/I-9 Policy and Program
10 - Excellent
9
7
6
4
8
3
2
5
1 - Poorly
27%25%
21%23%
20%24%
13%11%
10%7%
6%6%
1%2%
1%1%
1%
1%
0%
0%
HireRight Transportation Spotlight | 2013 Edition 13
Social Media
Social media activity continues to rise every year, and
the bigger platforms now touch people’s lives multiple
times a day. However, using social media to find and
source talent is still relatively new for many employers,
human resource managers, and recruiters. In 2013,
45% of respondents reported using social media to
source or recruit talent compared with 40% in 2012,
with an additional 7% planning to use social media
for these purposes in the future. These findings are
not that much different from the 54% reported for
all industries in the overall HireRight Employment
Screening Benchmarking survey.
Only 14% of respondents indicated that they use
social media during background checking (a slight
uptick from last year’s 12%). Given the regulatory and
personal privacy concerns in today’s social world,
only 17% of the companies who utilize social media
for background checking actually have company
guidelines in place. As a best practice, it is always
a good idea to check with your legal counsel prior
to developing a social media background checking
policy. Ensure that searches are done uniformly for all
candidates and comply with the terms of service of
each social media site. The most utilized platforms for
conducting background searches are Facebook (82%),
followed by Google+ (46%) and LinkedIn (36%).
Social Media Increasing as an Essential Tool for Recruiting and Development
Transportation
Other Industries
Social Networking SitesUsed for Recruiting
4%
Yes
No, no plansat this time
No, but planning to
45%54%
47%39%
7%7%
Name of Social NetworkingSites Used for Screening
Google+
YouTube
MySpace
Other
Blogs
Yahoo! Answers
82%83%
46%32%
36%68%
8%8%
5%
5%
7%
24%
3%2%
3%11%
0%3%
0%0%
Transportation
Other Industries
HireRight Transportation Spotlight | 2013 Edition
More InformationHireRight is a leading provider of on-demand employment background screening, drug and health screening, and I-9
employment eligibility solutions that help employers automate, manage, and control screening and related programs.
For more information, go to www.hireright.com.
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Contact UsHireRight Sales and Information: 800.400.2761
www.hireright.com
Media and Analyst Contact:
Lindsay Thompson
Strategies for HireRight
714.957.8880, ext. 128
Follow Us:
www.facebook.com/hireright
twitter.com/hireright
www.linkedin.com/company/hireright
Background Screening Resources:
www.hireright.com/resourcelibrary/
About HireRightHireRight, a leading provider of innovative, online
background checks, drug and health screenings, and
employment eligibility verifications, serves more than
9,500 transportation organizations with more than one
million annual screens. Comprehensive, cost-effective
screening packages are custom-designed to meet an
organization’s needs and changing regulatory compliance
requirements. An exclusive web-based applicant portal
and mobile communication features improve recruiter and
applicant satisfaction to help organizations streamline their
background checks. Our expertise in integrating screening
solutions with applicant tracking systems (ATS) delivers
unmatched efficiency that helps your organization win the
competition for talent.
HireRight Transportation Solutions ¢ DAC Employment History File
¢ Commercial Driver’s License Information System
Plus (CDLIS+)
¢ DOT Drug and Alcohol Violation History Database
¢ DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing (Pre-employment,
random selection and post-accident)
¢ DMV (Driver Violation Alert, Motor Vehicle
Records Check, Annual Driving Records Review)
¢ Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP)
¢ Criminal Background Checks
¢ Manual Employment and Drug and Alcohol
Verifications
¢ Background Screening and Verifications (SSN,
Education, Employment, Credit, Workers’
Compensation)
¢ I-9 Management and E-Verify Employment
Eligibility Verification Solutions
www.hireright.com800.400.2761949.428.5977
Transportation Spotlight
From the HireRight Employment Screening Benchmarking Survey 2013 Edition
HireRight Transportation Spotlight 042913PR
Copyright © 2013 HireRight, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Reproduction and distribution of this publication in any form without prior written permission is
prohibited. Certain Altegrity companies provide investigative services. State licensing information can be found at www.altegrity.com/compliance.
HireRight prepared these materials for informational purposes only. These materials are not intended to be comprehensive, and are not a substitute for, and should not be construed as, legal advice. HireRight does not
warrant any statements in these materials. Employers should direct to their own experienced legal counsel questions involving their organization’s compliance with or interpretation or application of laws or regulations
and any additional legal requirements that may apply.
Intelligence to move forward.SM
