Understanding Your DAC Report

What Is the DAC Report?

The DAC report -- originally called "Drive-A-Check" and now officially known as the Employment History Report -- is a background screening product maintained by a major consumer reporting agency. It compiles employment information that trucking companies voluntarily report about their drivers. When you apply to a new carrier, the hiring company typically requests your DAC report as part of the pre-employment screening process, alongside your PSP report and Motor Vehicle Record.

What Information Appears on a DAC Report?

The report may include the following data, depending on what your previous employers reported:

Employment Verification

• Dates of employment with each reporting carrier
• Position held (company driver, owner-operator, team driver)
• Reason for leaving or separation (voluntary resignation, termination, contract completion)
• Eligibility for rehire (yes, no, or conditional)

Safety and Performance Data

• Accident history reported by the carrier (with or without fault designation)
• Drug and alcohol testing violations, if applicable
• Equipment or cargo damage incidents
• Policy violations (late deliveries, unauthorized passengers, etc.)

DOT Compliance Information

• FMCSA-reportable incidents
• HOS violations documented by the employer
• Failed or refused drug/alcohol tests reported through the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

How Carriers Use the DAC Report

For many carriers, the DAC report is a critical hiring tool. It provides employment history that may not appear on a standard background check and includes safety-relevant details that influence insurance costs and compliance risk. Common carrier practices include:

• Verifying employment history -- Cross-referencing your application against reported dates and employers.
• Checking rehire eligibility -- A "not eligible for rehire" notation from a previous carrier is a red flag, even if the reason is not specified.
• Evaluating safety record -- Reported accidents and violations help carriers assess risk.
• Insurance underwriting -- Some insurers review DAC data when setting premiums for carriers.

How to Access Your DAC Report

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to request a free copy of your DAC report once every 12 months. The process involves:

1. Contacting the consumer reporting agency that maintains the report.
2. Providing identification and verification information (name, Social Security number, date of birth, CDL number).
3. Requesting your file disclosure by mail, phone, or online (where available).

Review your report carefully. Errors and outdated information are not uncommon, and they can cost you job opportunities.

How to Dispute Inaccurate Information

If you find incorrect data on your DAC report, the FCRA provides a dispute process:

1. File a dispute -- Contact the consumer reporting agency in writing. Identify the specific items you are disputing and explain why they are inaccurate.
2. Provide supporting documentation -- Attach copies of settlement statements, separation letters, or other records that contradict the reported information.
3. Agency investigation -- The agency must investigate your dispute, typically within 30 days. They will contact the reporting carrier to verify or correct the data.
4. Resolution -- If the carrier cannot verify the disputed information, it must be removed. If the carrier confirms it, the data remains, but you can add a statement of dispute to your file.

If the carrier reported information that you believe is defamatory or deliberately false, consult an attorney who specializes in FCRA claims. Drivers have successfully challenged inaccurate DAC entries through both the dispute process and legal action.

DAC vs. PSP: Key Differences

Drivers sometimes confuse these two reports. The critical distinction:

• DAC -- Contains employer-reported data (employment history, separation reasons, employer-documented incidents). Maintained by a private consumer reporting agency.
• PSP -- Contains federal government data (FMCSA-recorded inspections and DOT-reportable crashes). Maintained by the FMCSA.

Both affect your hireability, but they require different correction processes. DAC disputes go through the FCRA process; PSP corrections go through the FMCSA DataQs system.

Protecting Your DAC Record

The best defense is a clean professional record, but practical steps also help:

• Leave employers on good terms -- Give proper notice and complete your contractual obligations. A clean separation reduces the risk of negative reporting.
• Get it in writing -- When you resign, request written confirmation of your separation terms and rehire eligibility.
• Monitor annually -- Request your free report every year, even when you are not job hunting, to catch and correct errors early.
• Know your rights -- Carriers must follow FCRA rules when reporting data. Knowingly false reporting is a violation of the law.

Your DAC report follows you throughout your career. Treat it with the same care you give your CDL and medical certificate.