A commercial driver’s licence is not the on/off switch for a DQ file. Many interstate drivers of commercial motor vehicles below CDL weight still need a Part 391 qualification file: application, MVR, medical examiner’s certificate, road test or equivalent, and annual review. Clearinghouse queries apply to CDL (and CLP) holders in the drug and alcohol program. Confirm whether the vehicle and interstate movement make the person a CMV driver before you decide the file is optional.
When non-CDL still means CMV
US “commercial motor vehicle” for Part 391 is not identical to “needs a CDL.” Straight trucks and vans used in interstate commerce above the CMV threshold can put a driver in Part 391 without a CDL. Hot-shot and small-fleet operations get this wrong constantly.
If the movement is interstate and the vehicle meets the CMV definition that applies to your operation, start from a full 391 file and only drop items the rule actually drops.
What you still collect
- Employment application with the history 391.21 asks for.
- MVR from the licensing state(s), at hire and on the annual cycle.
- Medical examiner’s certificate from a listed examiner, unless a specific exception applies.
- Road test certificate, or an allowed equivalent if one exists for that operation.
- Annual MVR inquiry and the note that the review was performed. The separate driver-furnished list of violations was rescinded in 2022 and is no longer part of this.
What usually does not apply
FMCSA Clearinghouse full and limited queries are a CDL / CLP drug-and-alcohol program duty. Do not invent Clearinghouse tasks for a non-CDL driver who is not in that program. Do not skip medical and MVR because Clearinghouse does not apply.
Some farm, incidental, and short-radius exceptions exist. Treat them as written legal determinations, not as shop-floor folklore.
Label the driver type in the file
Put “CDL” or “non-CDL CMV” on the packet so a substitute safety officer does not run the wrong checklist. Mixed fleets that use one folder template for everyone either over-collect Clearinghouse on non-CDL drivers or under-collect medicals on everyone.
FAQ
Does a non-CDL driver need a DOT medical card?
If they are a CMV driver subject to Part 391, they generally need medical certification. The CDL medical-certification-with-the-state process is a CDL mechanic. The medical examiner’s certificate itself is broader. Confirm the current rule for that vehicle and movement.
What about purely intrastate non-CDL drivers?
State rules control. Some states adopt Part 391; some have a lighter intrastate standard. Your file should follow the state of operation and the carrier’s authority, not a forum post.
More in US driver qualification files · short answers on the FAQ · terms on the glossary.
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Related guides
Driver files in the wider operation
Explore related driver-file workflows in the TruckerPro TMS:
- Separate CDL and non-CDL checklists per driver (truckerpro.ca)
Related reading on truckerpro.ca
More driver-file resources from the TruckerPro family:
- Driver qualification file software (truckerpro.ca)
DQF document tracking and audit packets for US-authority fleets. - Clearinghouse query tracking (truckerpro.ca)
Keeping annual and pre-employment queries evidenced against each driver. - Surviving a new-entrant safety audit (truckerpro.ca)
What an auditor asks a new carrier for, and the order they ask for it in.
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