Bucket trucks and digger derricks need qualified drivers on paper.
Utility, excavation and directional-drilling contractors move heavy equipment between job sites every day. When those vehicles meet the weight threshold in interstate commerce, every driver needs a complete federal driver file.
Free: see your roadside record and MCS-150 due date from FMCSA’s public data.
Does this apply to you?
A driver needs a federal driver file when all three are true:
- 1The vehicle meets the weight thresholdGross vehicle or combination weight rating, or actual weight, of 10,001 lbs or more, whichever is greater. 49 CFR 390.5
- 2It's used in interstate commerceCrossing a state line, or an in-state leg of trade that starts or ends out of state. 49 CFR 390.5
- 3They drive it for your businessPart 391 covers anyone who drives a commercial motor vehicle for a motor carrier, full-time or not. 49 CFR 391.1
Purely intrastate? Many states apply the same rules with changes; confirm with your state.
Vehicles to check
Compare each one’s ratings against 10,001 lbs:
- Bucket trucks and digger derricks
- Directional-drilling rigs and support trucks
- Vacuum excavation trucks
- Equipment trailers and pole trailers
One narrow exception: pipeline welding trucks
Part 391 doesn't apply to drivers of pipeline welding trucks as defined in 49 CFR 390.38(b) (see 49 CFR 391.2). Drivers of your other commercial motor vehicles are still covered.
Line crews change often
Each person who drives a commercial motor vehicle for you needs their own driver qualification file (49 CFR 391.51) and investigation history file (49 CFR 391.53).
What every driver file must hold
11 records per driver across two separate files plus related obligations. A missing or incomplete required record is a recordkeeping violation: up to $1,584 per day and $15,846 per violation (49 CFR Part 386, Appendix B).
Driver Qualification File
49 CFR 391.51
- Application for employment · At hire
- Motor vehicle record — at hire · At hire
- Road test certificate or equivalent · Once
- Motor vehicle record — annual inquiry · Every 12 months
- Note of annual review of driving record · Every 12 months
- Medical examiner's certificate · Expires — up to 24 months
Driver Investigation History File
49 CFR 391.53
- Driver's written authorization · At hire
- Previous employer responses · Within 30 days of hire
Related obligations
49 CFR Parts 380 & 382
- Pre-employment drug & alcohol test result · At hire
- Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse query · Pre-employment, then annually
- Entry-level driver training certificate · Once
We build the files for you
$999 one-time Audit-Ready Setup for utility and excavation contractors with up to 30 drivers, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Then $8 per driver per month ( $79 minimum) to track every expiry date.
Do crew members who occasionally move a truck between sites need files?
Part 391 covers anyone who drives a commercial motor vehicle for a motor carrier (49 CFR 391.1), whether it's their main job or not.
We work for utilities, not as one. Does the government exception help?
The exception in 49 CFR 390.3(f) is for transportation performed by government. A private contractor operating its own trucks shouldn't rely on it without confirming.
Other industries
General information, not legal advice. Rules cited are from Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations; exceptions and state rules can change what applies to your operation.