Knowella

Driver Qualification File

Holds everything required to prove a driver is qualified, including licence, medical, record of violations and employment history. Built at hire and maintained throughout employment. Managed by the fleet compliance lead. The first file an auditor asks for.

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Completed by
Managed by the fleet compliance lead
Raised
Once at set up, then whenever an entry is added, changed o

Summary

In short

  • A driver qualification file is a register used in KnowFleet that holds everything required to prove a driver is qualified, including licence, medical, record of violations and employment history. It is built against FMCSA 391.51 and forms part of the Fleet and Driver Compliance programme.
  • Built at hire and maintained throughout employment. Managed by the fleet compliance lead.
  • The template holds 59 fields across 6 sections.
  • Scoring is completeness percent, where high is good.
  • FMCSA 391 is driver qualification. Licensing, medical certification, road testing and driving record review.
  • It connects to the rest of the library: links Worker.

What it is

What it is

What is a driver qualification file?

A driver qualification file is a register used in KnowFleet that holds everything required to prove a driver is qualified, including licence, medical, record of violations and employment history. It is built against FMCSA 391.51 and forms part of the Fleet and Driver Compliance programme.

When is a driver qualification file completed?

A driver qualification file is completed once at set up, then whenever an entry is added, changed or retired. Built at hire and maintained throughout employment.

When to use it

When to use it, and when not to

This register is one step in a larger programme. Using it for work that belongs to a neighbouring template produces records that are hard to report on later.

Use it for

  • The event or activity this register covers has occurred, or is about to
  • A new record is needed; each one gets its own ID in the form DQF-2026-000
  • You are running the Fleet and Driver Compliance programme and this is one of its steps
  • A linked record needs this one to exist: links worker

Not for

  • Driver Licence Verification, which verifies a driver's licence class, endorsements and status with the issuing authority.
  • Medical Certificate Record, which holds the driver's medical examiner certificate and its expiry date.
  • Motor Vehicle Record Review, which reviews a driver's traffic violation history.
  • Anything outside KnowFleet, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process

Standards

What it is built against

FMCSA 391Driver qualification

Licensing, medical certification, road testing and driving record review.

FMCSAFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

The United States commercial road transport regulator.

CSACanadian Standards Association

Canadian consensus standards. Frequently referenced into provincial regulation, which makes them enforceable.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is the driver qualification file template based on?+

It is built against FMCSA 391.51. FMCSA 391 is driver qualification. Licensing, medical certification, road testing and driving record review. FMCSA is federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The United States commercial road transport regulator.

What sections does the driver qualification file contain?+

There are 6 sections: header, licensing, medical, driving history, training and authorisation, file completeness. Together they hold 59 fields, 44 of which are required.

How often is a driver qualification file raised?+

A new record is raised once at set up, then whenever an entry is added, changed or retired. Each one is given an ID in the form DQF-2026-000, so it can be traced and referenced from other records.

Which programme does the driver qualification file belong to?+

It is part of Fleet and Driver Compliance. An operator licence position you could defend at an audit tomorrow.

How is a driver qualification file scored?+

Scoring is completeness percent. High is good. Scores exist to make the form tell you something, not to produce a percentage for its own sake.

Can the driver qualification file template be changed?+

Yes. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it. Most teams install it as it is, run it for a cycle, then adjust.

The agents

What the agents do with it

The form is the easy part. Keeping it current, routing it to the right owner and holding the evidence together is the work that actually slips.

KnowFleet

Holds the driver qualification file library against your registers, routes each record to its owner, and keeps the evidence trail together.

Ella

Coordinates the crew, rolls completion and exceptions into one view, and holds every write for your approval before it touches a record.

This template lives in KnowFleetfleet and transport. Drivers, vehicles, hours, cargo securement and operator licence compliance.

Sources

Sources

  • FMCSA 391 — Driver qualification
  • FMCSA — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
  • CSA — Canadian Standards Association
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