Understanding Your DAC Report

For The Professional CDL Driver

The DAC Report Can Be Equally As Important To

Your Career And Financial Future As Your Personal

Consumer Credit Report ...

Some of the information in this report was taken from The DAC Report by Allen Smith of AskTheTrucker.com.

Many professional CDL drivers have been a victim of what many drivers consider to be "the notorious DAC Report".  And you might ask, what does DAC stand for?  In the trucking industry, DAC stands for Drive-A-Check.

For the professional CDL driver, the DAC Report can be equally as important to your career and financial future as your personal consumer credit report.

What is the DAC Report?

So, exactly what is the DAC Report and why is it so important?  Good question and you should know what it is all about as it contains:

• a detailed summary of a driver's work history
• reasons for leaving the job
• information about accidents
• information about the type of truck and trailer you operated
• information about the type of driving you did for an employer
• whether or not you are eligible for rehire
• your social security number, your D/L number, if you applied for worker's compensation
• information about any criminal reports

The Hiring Policy Of Many Trucking Companies
Rely Heavily On The DAC Report

All too often the information contained in a driver's DAC report prohibits a driver from being rehired by the same company, or being hired by another company.  When considering a driver for employment, many companies place a very high value on the driver's DAC report.

Many of the smaller trucking companies do not rely on your DAC Report, but rather on other information coupled with a personal interview, either by phone or in person.  In 'Sometimes Less Is Indeed More', the differences are pointed out between larger and smaller companies, and one of those is the employer's use of the DAC Report.

Even though the governing agency of DAC Reports is regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, it is widely known by drivers that trucking companies abuse this tool by reporting unfair and unjust information about their drivers, which can end up ruining a trucker's career.  Once an item has been placed on a DAC Report, it almost takes an act of Congress to have it removed.  In fact, as many drivers have learned, it is nearly impossible.  Unfair?  Yes.  Unjust?  Absolutely.

In an upcoming article we will be discussing how many otr drivers have turned to Trucking Employment Law attorneys for assistance and have had great success getting their DAC Report (and other issues) turned around.  So, stay tuned .....

The DAC Report consists of (2) parts:

1. Your MVR Report from your home state
2. Your work history

The company overseeing this report is:

USIS Commercial Services Division

4500 South 129th East Avenue, Suite #200

Tulsa, Oklahoma 74134-5885

(800) 381-0645

Subject to the FACT Act file disclosure, a driver is entitled to receive a free copy of their DAC report once every twelve months.  You can receive additional copies, but at a cost of $9.50 (or more) each.

To receive a copy of your DAC Report you must do so through a written request, and include a copy of your social security card and driver's license.  It normally takes 10 days to two weeks to receive the report.  If your report does contain fraudulent information, you must follow the instructions for dispute resolution.  Also, keep in mind that if the information is accurate, and you are successful in having the item(s) removed from your DAC report, you are still required to report the information to potential employers.

The DAC Report will normally keep the information on the report for 10 years.  After seven years, items such as accidents, rehire eligibility and work history will be removed.  Also, if the company closes down, these items are supposed to be removed automatically.

Filing A DAC Report Dispute Online

Contacting the trucking company and requesting that the items be removed through normal procedures usually will not work.  This type of request is typically ignored by the trucking company.  As we've previously stated, it is nearly impossible to get items removed from your DAC Report, but it can be done by going through the proper channels.  And if all else fails, you can contact a transportation attorney and have them handle the situation, but this can be very costly.

In "How To File A DAC Report Dispute Online" contact information is provided about how and where you can dispute something on your DAC report online. 

The best way to keep your DAC Report clean is to:

• ALWAYS leave a company on good terms
• ALWAYS give at least two weeks notice
• ALWAYS return the equipment to the right place, clean and in good order

NEVER, NEVER assume it's okay to just call the company and let them know where you are dropping the equipment off - they may place an "abandonment of equipment" on your DAC Report and this would probably stand in the way of your getting another job with another trucking company.  

By operating at a professional level, and giving the company NO EXCUSES for improper reporting, your DAC Report will not come back to haunt you.