Driver Fitness Violations
CDL validity, medical certification, Driver Qualification File, training records.
What this BASIC means
The Driver Fitness BASIC tracks driver eligibility: CDL class/endorsement validity, DOT medical certification (Med Card), Driver Qualification File (DQ File, 49 CFR 391.51), MVR pulls, road test, and previous-employer verification. This BASIC has the lowest crash correlation of the seven — FMCSA still scores it but the threshold is the same 65th percentile. The most-common violations are administrative: expired Med Card, missing DQ File entry, wrong CDL class for the vehicle weight.
Overview
The Driver Fitness BASIC tracks driver eligibility: CDL class/endorsement validity, DOT medical certification (Med Card), Driver Qualification File (DQ File, 49 CFR 391.51), MVR pulls, road test, and previous-employer verification. This BASIC has the lowest crash correlation of the seven — FMCSA still scores it but the threshold is the same 65th percentile. The most-common violations are administrative: expired Med Card, missing DQ File entry, wrong CDL class for the vehicle weight.
Top violations in this BASIC
391.41(a) (no current medical certificate) is the most-cited Driver Fitness violation, severity 5/10. Med Cards expire every 12-24 months depending on the examiner — most violations are 30-day expirations someone didn't catch. Other common: 383.23 (no CDL for vehicle class, severity 8 + OOS), 391.45 (driver not qualified, severity 5), 383.51 (CDL disqualified, severity 10 + OOS).
How to lower your Driver Fitness BASIC
Run MVR pulls quarterly (not just annually as 391.25 requires). Set automated Med Card expiration alerts 60 days out. Maintain a DQ File per 391.51 with: annual MVR, road test certificate, medical cert, employment verification, drug test results. Use a TPA (third-party administrator) if you have more than 10 drivers — too many moving pieces for spreadsheet tracking.