MVR Monitoring Frequently Asked Questions
This article provides key information about MVR (Motor Vehicle Record) Monitoring in Encompass®, outlining requirements, best practices, and operational details. A baseline MVR is required during enrollment to cover the gap between the last Annual Review and Monitoring Start Date. Continuous MVR Monitoring is not mandated by FMCSA but is recommended for safety and legal risk reduction, with full Driver enrollment advised to avoid discrimination concerns. State-specific rules, such as Employer Notification Service (ENS) participation, can impact the need for an Annual Review, and notification timelines for negative events vary by state. The article also covers limitations (e.g., Canada not supported), troubleshooting error codes, enrollment changes through Driver Release Forms, and billing details, including per-report and state-specific fees.
Is a baseline MVR required?
Yes, as part of the enrollment process a baseline MVR is obtained. This provides coverage of the gap between the customer’s last Annual Review to current.
Does the customer have to monitor all drivers?
Continuous MVR monitoring is not required by FMCSA. MVR monitoring is a carrier best practice which provides timely notifications of licensing changes that may render a driver ineligible to operate a commercial motor vehicle or may place a driver out of the carrier’s hiring criteria. FMCSA allows MVR monitoring to meet the annual review requirement in 391.25 per Interpretation #4 in 391.25.
If a carrier utilizes a continuous MVR monitoring program for their drivers, it is recommended that all drivers are enrolled to avoid selective use of a sound safety management control. If a driver not enrolled in MVR monitoring has a crash, a plaintiff’s attorney will likely use the exception as support for a case of negligent supervision of the driver which can lead to nuclear jury verdicts or excessive settlements to avoid litigation.
Applying selective use of rules to specific drivers is also not advised to avoid concerns with discrimination.
Does the customer need to order an Annual Review in states that do not have an ENS (Employer Notification Service)?
Best business practice for those drivers licensed in states that meet ENS requirements and no longer require an annual MVR is to have one last Annual Review completed for the drivers’ files.
This is to account for the time between the last annual review (i.e. 8/1/2023) and enrollment into MVR Monitoring (i.e. 11/30/2023) as there could have been changes to the record since the last Annual Review in which the driver didn’t disclose (i.e. 10/20/203 – driver involved in accident).
How soon after a negative event will I receive activity MVR?
This depends on the state. Some will provide negative events daily while others will provide them weekly or monthly. Be sure to review the State Triggers documentation for applicable states.
Can applicant or pre-hire MVRs be processed through Encompass using the on-demand ordering method?
The monitoring process does not apply to applicants.
Can we monitor drivers in Canada?
J. J. Keller® Encompass® is not set up to monitor drivers in Canada.
Can we monitor drivers that come into the US from Mexico?
Samba has MVRs in the US only and Driver Abstracts for Canada. Note: As mentioned, we did not implement Canada for Encompass. To our knowledge, they do not have an MVR comparable for Mexico.
I received an error code regarding my MVR; what do these mean?
If there is an errored order, you will receive an email with a link to the MVR Request roster page. All Motor Vehicle Reports received through your MVR Monitoring program will have the Third Party listed as SambaSafetyQorta. Any driver that failed to be enrolled into monitoring will also have an Error as the request status. See MVR Troubleshooting for more information.
What if I delete an Authorization/Driver Release from a driver's MVR Release line item in Encompass?
If the Driver Release form is removed from the MVR Release line item, this will un-enroll the driver from MVR Monitoring.
How is a customer billed for the MVR Monitoring service?
The fee for the MVR Monitoring service is included in the monthly fee associated with any driver. It would in essence mirror these billing instructions: Driver Profiles
As far as the MVR fees, the user is charged for each MVR Report received within a billing period and associated state fees. These breakdown to:
- $3.75 per MVR - this shows up on the invoice as: ENCOMPASS MVR MONITORING FEES
- State Fee varies by state* - this shows up on the invoice as: ENCOMPASS MVR MONITORING STATE FEES
The number of MVR fees should be the same as number of state fees.
The ENCOMPASS MVR MONITORING STATE FEES displays on the invoice as quantity x average price of the state fees from the billing period.