Every driver file audit-ready, without a sales demo
Driver Binder keeps a complete qualification file per driver, tracks Clearinghouse queries and English-proficiency screening records, and warns you before a medical card, CDL or annual review lapses. Published pricing, a driver app in Spanish, Punjabi and Russian, and a one-click audit binder.
- Per-driver checklist built on the 49 CFR Part 391 file requirements, with a red, yellow or green status for every item
- Alerts 60, 30 and 7 days before medical certificates, CDLs, MVR reviews and annual Clearinghouse queries fall due
- Driver onboarding app in English, Spanish, Punjabi and Russian; drivers photograph documents from their phone
Roadside enforcement is up, and small fleets still track files in spreadsheets
A two-truck carrier has the same driver qualification file obligations as a 500-truck fleet: application, motor vehicle record, road test, medical examiner's certificate, annual review, and a Clearinghouse query before hire and yearly after. Most small fleets keep these in a filing cabinet or a spreadsheet, and discover a lapse when an inspector or an insurance underwriter asks.
Enforcement has tightened. English-proficiency checks returned to the roadside out-of-service criteria in 2025, and the Department of Transportation has publicly counted the drivers removed. One driver placed out of service strands a load; file gaps found in a new-entrant safety audit can cost a carrier its authority in its first year.
Established compliance vendors sell through demos and annual contracts, with pricing hidden until you talk to sales. Driver Binder is the opposite: a published price, a request form, and an account set up within 2 business days.
- News coverage from October 2025 reported more than 7,000 truckers sidelined for English-proficiency violations; by May 2026 the DOT was citing 20,000 drivers removed. Source: news.google.com
- Foley's small-fleet compliance tier (DQ files, testing, Clearinghouse) is sold behind a demo request rather than a published price. Source: foley.io
- Small carriers already pay roughly $25–130 per month for trucking back-office software such as TruckingOffice. Source: truckingoffice.com
Without it
- Spreadsheets and a filing cabinet: Free, and workable for two drivers. It fails when a medical card quietly expires, or when an auditor asks for a…
- Foley: A full compliance provider that also runs drug testing and background checks. Its small-fleet tier is sold through a…
- J.J. Keller and Tenstreet: Built for larger carriers and recruiting departments, with implementation projects and contracts to match. More than a…
With Driver Binder
- Per-driver checklist built on the 49 CFR Part 391 file requirements, with a red, yellow or green status for every item
- Alerts 60, 30 and 7 days before medical certificates, CDLs, MVR reviews and annual Clearinghouse queries fall due
- Driver onboarding app in English, Spanish, Punjabi and Russian; drivers photograph documents from their phone
- Driver qualification file checklist
- Expiry alerts by email and SMS
How it works
- 1
Request service
Fill in the request form with your USDOT number and driver count. We confirm by email and set up your account within 2 business days.
- 2
Add your drivers
Import a spreadsheet or add drivers one by one. Each driver gets a checklist of required file items and a link to the onboarding app in their language.
- 3
Upload what you have
Drivers photograph their CDL, medical card and application from their phone; you upload MVRs, road-test certificates and Clearinghouse query receipts. Missing items stay red until they are in.
- 4
Let the alerts run
Driver Binder emails and texts you ahead of each expiry, and prints an audit binder PDF whenever an inspector, insurer or auditor asks.
Features
Driver qualification file checklist
A checklist per driver mapped to the items FMCSA expects in a DQ file, with upload, expiry date and status per item. Yellow 60 days before expiry, red when overdue.
Expiry alerts by email and SMS
Reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days for medical examiner's certificates, CDL expiry, the annual MVR review and the annual Clearinghouse query, sent to you and optionally to the driver.
Clearinghouse query tracking
Record the date, type and result of each pre-employment and annual query and store the receipt. You run the queries in the FMCSA Clearinghouse as you do today; Driver Binder keeps the proof and the schedule.
English-proficiency screening record
Log the date, who conducted the screening, the method used and any notes, so each driver's file shows the assessment happened. The method is yours to define; we do not grade drivers.
Multilingual driver onboarding app
Drivers complete the application, upload documents and sign consents from a phone, in English, Spanish, Punjabi or Russian. Documents land directly in the right file item.
New-entrant audit binder
One click produces a PDF binder per driver or for the whole fleet: cover index, every document and the alert history. Built for the new-entrant safety audit and insurance renewals.
Accountant and insurance-agent access
Give your trucking accountant or insurance agent read-only access to compliance status without exposing documents, or a full seat if they manage files for you.
A look inside
What you see day to day: the working view and the monthly summary.
Who it's for
Newly authorized carriers
Your new-entrant safety audit is coming in your first year. Driver Binder gives you the file structure from day one, so the audit is a printout rather than a scramble.
Fleets of 5–25 trucks with an office manager
One person handles dispatch, billing and compliance. The checklist and alerts replace the spreadsheet and the wall calendar.
Hotshot and owner-operator carriers with a few drivers
You drive and manage. Drivers send documents from the road through the phone app; you approve them in minutes.
Trucking accountants and insurance agents
You advise dozens of small carriers. Set up Driver Binder for clients, see every client's status from one login, and ask us about referral pricing.
Works with
- FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse (query receipts and schedule)
- FMCSA SAFER and USDOT number lookup
- Email and SMS reminders
- PDF audit binder export
- CSV and Excel import of driver rosters
- Any drug-and-alcohol consortium or third-party administrator (upload their enrollment and test documents)
- Smartphone camera upload from iOS and Android browsers, no app-store install
Pricing
Billed monthly, cancel any time. Founding customer pricing is locked for 24 months. All plans include the four-language driver app, SMS and email alerts, the audit binder PDF and unlimited document storage for active drivers. We onboard new accounts within 2 business days.
Starter
$49 per month
Up to 5 active drivers
- Up to 5 active drivers
- DQ file checklist and document vault
- Email and SMS expiry alerts
- Clearinghouse query tracking
- Driver app in English, Spanish, Punjabi and Russian
- Audit binder PDF
Fleet
$99 per month
Up to 12 active drivers, about $8 per driver
- Up to 12 active drivers
- Everything in Starter
- English-proficiency screening records
- Read-only seats for your accountant or insurance agent
- Roster import from CSV or Excel
- Email support within one business day
Fleet 25
$199 per month
Up to 25 active drivers, then $8 per extra driver
- Up to 25 active drivers, then $8 per driver
- Everything in Fleet
- Multiple terminals or locations under one account
- Custom checklist items for your own policies
- Quarterly compliance status report by email
- Onboarding call for your office staff
Compared with the alternatives
- Spreadsheets and a filing cabinet
- Free, and workable for two drivers. It fails when a medical card quietly expires, or when an auditor asks for a complete file and the documents are in three places.
- Foley
- A full compliance provider that also runs drug testing and background checks. Its small-fleet tier is sold through a demo with pricing on request; it suits carriers that want one vendor for everything.
- J.J. Keller and Tenstreet
- Built for larger carriers and recruiting departments, with implementation projects and contracts to match. More than a 10-truck fleet needs or wants to pay for.
- TruckingOffice and other dispatch software
- Dispatch, invoicing and IFTA tools at roughly $25–130 per month. Good at what they do, but not built around driver qualification files or Clearinghouse schedules.
Your first week
We set up the account, you add drivers, and the first alerts are configured before the week is out.
- Day 1: Request service; we confirm your USDOT number and create your account within 2 business days.
- Day 2–3: Import your roster, send onboarding links to drivers, upload the documents you already hold.
- Day 4–5: Review the red items per driver, record Clearinghouse query dates, set alert recipients.
- Day 7: Print your first fleet audit binder and see what an auditor would see.
Security and data
- Driver documents are stored in private cloud object storage in the United States, encrypted at rest; nothing is served from a public URL.
- All traffic uses TLS; driver app links are single-use and expire after 7 days.
- Access is role-based (owner, office, read-only advisor) and every view or download of a document is logged.
- Inactive driver files are retained for the FMCSA retention period unless you delete them sooner; deletion requests are completed within 30 days, and we never sell or share driver data.
Questions
Is Driver Binder a compliance service or a consultant?
It is record-keeping software: the structure, the reminders and the audit printout. It does not replace a safety consultant or FMCSA guidance. Driver Binder is software, not legal or regulatory advice; confirm the requirements for your operation with FMCSA, your state agency or a qualified safety consultant.
Does Driver Binder run Clearinghouse queries for me?
No. Queries must be run by you, or by your designated consortium or third-party administrator, in the FMCSA Clearinghouse. Driver Binder tracks when each pre-employment and annual query is due and stores the receipt so the file shows it was done.
Does the English-proficiency record satisfy FMCSA?
FMCSA does not certify screening tools, and we do not claim ours is one. Driver Binder stores a dated record of the screening you perform, the method and who did it. How you assess drivers is your decision, ideally with your safety consultant's input.
Which languages does the driver app support?
English, Spanish, Punjabi and Russian at launch; your own screens and the audit binder are in English. Other languages are added when founding customers ask for them.
What happens when a driver leaves?
Mark the driver inactive. The file stays stored and exportable for the FMCSA retention period and is not billed; billing counts active drivers only.
Can I export my data if I cancel?
Yes. Every document and the full alert history export as PDF and CSV from your account. After cancellation we keep the data for 90 days so you can download it, then delete it.
Why pick a new product over an established vendor?
You can see the price and start without a sales call, and you deal directly with the small team building it. If you need drug-testing administration or background checks bundled in, a larger provider is the better fit.
How is the price counted?
By active drivers at the start of each billing month. Owner-operators who also drive count as drivers. Trucks, trailers and office staff are not counted.
Ready when you are
Tell us about your setup. We confirm by email and get you running within 2 business days.
Request service