Private investigators are often hired by law firms to research the background of a truck driver following a serious trucking accident. This may seem like a straightforward task, but the research is anything but straightforward and more specialized than one might think.
Here is a tip to further your research.
One of the challenges in researching the background of a truck driver is to determine what jurisdictions might hold records pertaining to their driving histories. During a routine background investigation, an investigator would look at the jurisdictions where the individual has resided and start researching those jurisdictions. But what about a truck driver who travels? One of the industry tricks is to look up the carrier that the truck driver works for in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) database and review the Safety Measurement System (SMS) records for the carrier. By doing so, you can see all of the jurisdictions that a specific truck or carrier has been inspected in, had violations, or reportable accidents. After noting these jurisdictions, the investigator can now research the target in all of these additional jurisdictions and uncover records that may have otherwise never been unearthed.