Driver Requirements, Programs, and Recordkeeping | MAN1425

All drivers must possess a valid driver’s license with the class of license appropriate to the vehicle to be operated. In accordance with the Department of Driver Services (DDS), new Georgia residents are required to obtain a Georgia license within 30 days of establishing residence. For drivers with out-of-state licenses, similar rules will apply, and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Volunteers are prohibited from driving state-owned vehicles.

All drivers must be at least 21 years of age and have a minimum of 3 years driving experience to provide transportation to consumers.

All drivers must obtain a CDL if they operate a vehicle that falls into one of the following three classes:

All drivers must obtain a certified copy of a seven-year Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) from the Georgia Department of Driver Services prior to employment, if the driver’s job description identifies the operation of a vehicle as a component of their job. A current MVR must be maintained in the driver’s qualification file and reviewed with the driver by the employer. A seven-year MVR is required at the initial hiring. Subsequent MVRs must, at a minimum, cover a three-year period. The employer is required to maintain the two most current MVRs in the driver qualification folder.

All drivers must keep their employer informed of legal violations. A legal violation may include, but is not limited to a citation for a traffic violation and/or an arrest, charge, or conviction for committing a crime. Depending on the driver type, two notification steps may be required when a driver has received a citation or has been charged/convicted of a legal violation. The driver must notify their immediate employer within 5 calendar days of the charge or conviction. If the employer is a Subcontractor, the Subcontractor must provide written notification to the Prime Contractor.

When interviewing, or being screened as a potential driver, drivers may not have six or more points against their driver’s license, or a suspended or revoked driver’s license, within the last five years, for violations as indicated by the DDS. Employers and employees are strongly advised to refer to the DDS website for a comprehensive listing of violations, and associated points, and use this information as a guide when interviewing/screening potential drivers. An administrative exception may be requested prior to the five-year requirement for a driver whose license has been reinstated and the suspension was for a non-moving traffic violation. The request and supporting documentation must be sent to the appropriate Regional Transportation Office (RTO) for review.

Vehicle operators must conduct a National Background Check with fingerprints on all drivers. Any potential driver with prior convictions for a sexual crime or a crime of violence are not qualified to operate a vehicle for the state of Georgia. DHS Personnel Policy 1301 will apply as it relates to convictions for substance abuse crimes. Any person convicted of a felony during the past five years are prohibited from operating state vehicles. The employer will receive notification based on the results of the National Background Check whether a driver is cleared to transport clients. Refer to the Background and Criminal History Checks section in this chapter for more information.

All drivers must notify their employer of any arrests and or convictions within five calendar days of the date of arrest or conviction. The employer will make a determination of appropriate action on a case-by-case basis.

All drivers must notify their employer immediately, but no later than the first business day should the notice of suspension, revocation, cancellation, or loss of privilege to operate a vehicle for any period occur on a non-business day. The employee must not operate a state-owned or state-leased vehicle or transport consumers if their driver’s license has been revoked, suspended, or has driving restrictions. If the employer is a Subcontractor, the Subcontractor must immediately provide written notification to the Prime Contractor.

Per the DBHDD policy # 04-104, DBHDD transportation contractors and/or vehicle operators are to use instructions provided in said policy to conduct criminal history checks. Community Service Boards (CSB) and other DBHDD sites must have record of a national check in the driver files and available for DHS Transportation Services Section (TSS) review.

Per OCGA 49-2-14, Criminal history record checks are to be completed on individuals with whom the Department contracts to perform direct care, treatment and/or custodial services. Based on the nature of the job duties, all drivers and monitors of DHS and/or DBHDD consumers must have a national criminal history records check, regardless of the date of original employment. DHS contractors and Subcontractors are required to use the services of the Georgia Applicant Processing Services (GAPS) for applicants for whom DHS provides the fitness determination. Contractors may initiate the registration process by visiting fieldprintgeorgia.com/businesses. It is important that the contractor/Subcontractor choose “direct elder care” during the registration process.

Employers shall have policy statements regarding prohibited drug use and alcohol misuse in the workplace, including the consequences associated with prohibited drug and alcohol misuse. Employers shall have a pre-employment education and training program to include anti-drug and alcohol misuse information and procedures for addressing positive drug test results. This should be in the form of printed material that should be distributed to employees upon hiring. This should also include community resources for substance abuse treatment availability.

Where permitted by law, employers, contractors, and sub-contractors shall maintain:

Where not permitted by law, employers, contractors, and Subcontractors shall maintain:

Collection process documents include those generated in connection with a decision for reasonable suspicion, post-accident, and pre-employment testing as well as documents presented by an employee disputing positive test results, and employee and supervisor training relating to this subject.

Four types of testing are established and applicable for all drivers. Prime Contractors are responsible for administering and maintaining these tests annually for their sub-contractors. The tests include: Pre-Employment, Random, Reasonable Suspicion, and Post Accident.

Employees who perform high-risk: duties are prohibited from using illegal substances (e.g. marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, and phencyclidine). Employees who are actually performing, ready to perform, or immediately available to perform functions which include driving (i.e., drivers), monitors, those who control the dispatch or movement of a vehicle, and those who perform maintenance on a vehicle or its equipment are also prohibited from misusing alcohol. If an employee tests positive for illegal drugs or alcohol misuse, they will be removed from their high-risk duty and be informed of education and rehabilitation programs. The employer is not required to pay for treatment programs.

DHS requires that a Driver Qualification File (DQF) be established and maintained on those individuals whose job description identifies the operation of a vehicle as the main component of their job. This includes employees operating state-owned vehicles or operating vehicles for consumer transportation.

Each driver’s record and qualifications are subject to an initial and an annual inspection by DHS, as well as interim inspections as required by DHS at its sole discretion (see Appendix 20 – Driver Qualification Folder (DQF) Checklist for the form used for verification and the items/required to be maintained at the site). Any driver failing to meet all listed qualifications, at any time, will be prohibited from driving under a transportation agreement with DHS. Vehicle operators failing to meet the requirements applicable to them will be prohibited from operating state-owned vehicles.

All records concerning driver’s qualifications must be made available to the RTO and the Prime Contractor for review. DHS reserves the right to disallow any driver from performing services under any transportation agreement, and the right to disallow any individual from operating a state-owned vehicle. At a minimum, the Driver Qualification File will include documentation of the following items:

A Certified Basic First Aid & CPR Course Prime Contractors must review the MVR with sub-contractors annually and identify any serious offenses and actions needed to maintain compliant with requirements. For additional information, refer to accident reporting in Chapter 3 – Risk Management and Insurance.

The Department of Administrative Services (DOAS) partners with Driver-Check, an organization with a proven record of accomplishment in helping organizations reduce accidents. The Report My Driving Program through Driver-Check is a program that serves as a 24-hour monitoring program, featuring the placement of specially designed bumper stickers. The stickers contain a unique vehicle number and phone number that observers can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to report unsafe or unlawful driving behavior, or to provide offer compliments on driver behavior.

In addition, the following parameters are required for use of the WEX fuel card, per the DOAS Office of Fleet Management’s Georgia Fleet Management Manual:

Additional information pertaining to the WEX program can be obtained by contacting the Fleet Manager (FM).

Vehicle operators are responsible for capturing data involved in the operation of their vehicles. Cost and use data are captured in several ways, as discussed below.

A vehicle history folder should be maintained for each vehicle. Each folder should include: maintenance records and expenses, other expenses, and periodic inspection reports.