Looking for a J.J. Keller Alternative?
Core Compliance is the focused, self-serve DQ file management software for trucking fleets that want flat-rate pricing, fast setup, and no annual contract.
14-day free trial · No credit card · No annual contract
Quick honest take
J.J. Keller is the legacy gold standard in trucking compliance for a reason. If you want a full services bundle including drug testing administration, compliance consulting, and a dedicated account manager, and you're comfortable with per-driver pricing and annual contracts, J.J. Keller is the right fit. Core Compliance is for carriers of any size who want focused software, flat-rate pricing by fleet, and the ability to start today without a sales call.
Why fleets switch from J.J. Keller
Four reasons we hear the most from carriers evaluating alternatives.
Flat-rate pricing instead of per-driver
Core Compliance is $15 to $349/month based on fleet size, with no per-driver fees. A 30-driver fleet pays the same as a 25-driver fleet. J.J. Keller's per-driver model means costs scale linearly with growth.
Self-serve setup, no sales call
Sign up, import your roster from CSV, upload documents. Most fleets are operational in under an hour. No discovery call, no implementation specialist, no 4-week ramp.
No annual contract
Monthly billing, cancel anytime. The 14-day free trial requires no credit card. Try the product, see if it fits, then decide. No commitment to make a commitment.
Focused product, not a services bundle
Core Compliance does one thing: driver qualification file management built for 49 CFR Part 391. No drug testing admin upsell, no consulting upsell. The product is the entire offer.
Core Compliance vs J.J. Keller
Side-by-side on the dimensions that matter for DQ file management.
Core Compliance
Self-serveFor trucking fleets of any size that want focused software, not a services bundle.
- Pricing
- Flat-rate, $15-349/month
- Setup time
- Under 1 hour
- Contract
- Monthly, no commitment
- Free trial
- 14 days, no credit card
- Sales call required
- No
- Best for
- Any fleet size, self-serve
- All 15 FMCSA document types
- Multi-stage expiration alerts
- Audit-ready PDF exports
- CSV roster import
- Modern web UI, mobile-friendly
J.J. Keller Encompass
EnterpriseFor carriers wanting a full compliance services bundle with dedicated account management.
- Pricing
- Per-driver, custom quote
- Setup time
- Weeks (typical)
- Contract
- Annual (typical)
- Free trial
- Not advertised
- Sales call required
- Yes
- Best for
- Buyers who want services bundled
- All FMCSA document types
- Bundled drug testing administration
- Compliance consulting available
- Dedicated account management
- Established brand and track record
Comparison reflects publicly available product information as of 2026. J.J. Keller capabilities and pricing may vary by plan and contract terms.
Who Core Compliance is for (and who it isn't)
We try to be honest about fit. Bad-fit customers churn, and that helps no one.
Right fit
- Owner-operators through enterprise fleets — any size
- Want flat monthly pricing without per-driver fees
- Want to set up and start using the product the same day
- Comfortable with self-serve software, no sales call needed
- Need DQ file management as a focused product
- Value modern UX and mobile access
Probably not the right fit
- Require an enterprise procurement process (RFPs, security questionnaires)
- Need bundled drug testing administration as a service
- Need bundled compliance consulting and human advisors
- Require a dedicated account manager assigned to your account
- Need SOC 2 Type II certification today (not yet, planned)
- Want a single vendor for hiring, payroll, ELD, and compliance
How to switch from J.J. Keller
Switching DQ file management providers is less disruptive than it sounds. Here is the path most fleets take:
- 1
Start a 14-day Core Compliance trial
No credit card required. Sign up, invite your safety manager, and verify the product fits your workflow before you migrate anything.
- 2
Export your driver list from J.J. Keller as CSV
Most platforms support CSV export of driver records. Pull yours and clean up any obvious data issues before importing.
- 3
Import drivers into Core Compliance
Use the CSV import tool. Validation flags missing or malformed fields, and duplicate detection prevents creating duplicate driver records.
- 4
Backfill documents incrementally
You do not need to migrate everything before going live. Upload documents for new drivers as they onboard, and backfill historical drivers in batches over a few weeks.
- 5
Run in parallel until your J.J. Keller contract expires
If you are mid-contract, keep J.J. Keller as the legal system of record while you build out Core Compliance. Switch fully at renewal.
Frequently asked questions
See if Core Compliance fits your fleet.
Set up in under an hour. No credit card. No annual contract. If it is not a fit, cancel and walk away.