Question 1

What is a Driver Qualification file?

Accepted Answer

A Driver Qualification (DQ) file is a mandatory personnel record required under 49 CFR Part 391 for every driver operating commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce. It contains documents proving the driver is medically fit, properly licensed, and vetted according to FMCSA regulations.

Question 2

What documents are required in a DQ file?

Accepted Answer

A DQ file includes documents like the Commercial Driver's License (CDL), Medical Examiner's Certificate (DOT physical), Motor Vehicle Record (MVR), employment application, road test certificate, annual driving record review, annual violations list, pre-employment drug test, previous employer inquiries, and Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse queries. Some documents are required for every driver, while others (like the SPE certificate or hazmat endorsement) apply only in specific situations. Core Compliance tracks all 15 document types defined under FMCSA regulations and industry best practices.

Question 3

How does Core Compliance track document expirations?

Accepted Answer

Core Compliance sends automated alerts at 90, 60, 30, 14, and 7 days before a document expires. Organization admins also receive a weekly digest email every Monday covering all documents expiring within the next 90 days, plus urgent milestone alerts at 10, 5, and 1 day.

Question 4

Is Core Compliance FMCSA-compliant?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Core Compliance is purpose-built for 49 CFR Part 391 compliance. All 15 document types tracked by the system align with FMCSA regulations and industry best practices, with the correct expiration timelines and renewal schedules.

Question 5

Can I import my existing driver records?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Core Compliance supports CSV batch import with automatic validation and duplicate detection. You can onboard your entire driver roster in minutes. Any rows that fail validation are reported in a downloadable error file so you can fix and re-import them.

Question 6

How does the free trial work?

Accepted Answer

You get 14 days of full access to all features with no credit card required. At the end of the trial, you can choose a plan that fits your fleet size or your account will simply become inactive.

Question 7

What size fleets does Core Compliance support?

Accepted Answer

Core Compliance supports fleets of all sizes across four pricing tiers: Tiny (up to 5 drivers), Starter (up to 25), Professional (up to 100), and Enterprise (unlimited).

Question 8

Is my data secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All documents are stored with encryption in secure cloud storage. Each organization's data is fully isolated. We enforce strict Content Security Policy headers, HTTPS-only access, and role-based permissions so only authorized team members can view or modify driver files.

Driver Qualification Files, Simplified.

Everything you need for DQ file compliance

14 FMCSA document types built in

Expiration tracking everyone can see

Bulk onboarding from a spreadsheet

Compliance dashboard at a glance

Simple, per-driver pricing

Starter

Professional

Enterprise

Frequently Asked Questions

Average FMCSA penalty per violation