Compliance
Driver Qualification File (DQF)
The DQF is the federally required folder of documents proving a driver is qualified to operate a CMV. Auditors look at it first.
FMCSA Part 391 requires carriers to maintain a Driver Qualification File for every driver. The DQF must include the application, MVRs from the past 3 years and annually thereafter, road test certificate or equivalent CDL, medical examiner's certificate, previous-employer safety performance histories (PSP), the annual driver review, and the annual MVR.
Files must be retained for the duration of employment plus 3 years (some documents 1 year). A DQF audit failure is the single most common citation in FMCSA compliance reviews.
Modern ATS platforms generate and version-lock DQFs automatically — manual folders are how small carriers fail audits.
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Related terms
Compliance
FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse
The Clearinghouse is the FMCSA database of CDL drivers' drug and alcohol program violations. Carriers must query it before hiring and annually.
Compliance
DOT Number
A DOT number is the unique identifier the FMCSA assigns to every interstate commercial motor carrier in the United States.
Safety
CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability)
CSA is the FMCSA's safety scoring program. It rolls roadside inspections and crashes into seven BASIC categories that shape audits and insurance.