Owner-Operator
Requirements

The basic requirements include meeting current driver, experience, safety, equipment, and business qualifications. For the opportunity described on this site, prospective owner-operators should be prepared to confirm their age, Class A CDL, required endorsements, recent verifiable OTR experience, driving and safety history, tractor and equipment, insurance, and required business documentation.

The current qualification path identifies a minimum age of 23, a Class A CDL, a HazMat endorsement, and recent verifiable OTR experience among the areas to review. Additional standards apply, and meeting one requirement does not guarantee qualification.

Start with the Owner Operator Requirements at a Glance, then review the Owner Operator Application Process when the basics appear to fit.

An owner-operator qualification review looks at the complete driver, equipment, safety, and business picture rather than one requirement by itself. That can include your CDL and endorsements, driving experience, driving and safety history, background information, truck and equipment, insurance, and requested documentation.

The purpose is to determine whether the operator and equipment meet the current standards for the opportunity. If one part of your history or equipment situation is unclear, don’t assume that you automatically qualify or disqualify yourself.

Review the Driver Requirements, Truck and Equipment Requirements, and Insurance and Documentation. You can also Contact Secrest Direct about a qualification question.

OTR stands for over-the-road driving experience. It generally refers to professional commercial driving that involves longer-distance freight movement rather than only short local routes.

For qualification, the important questions are whether your experience is recent, relevant, and verifiable. The rebuilt Requirements page currently uses one year of recent, verifiable OTR experience as its benchmark, but applicants should confirm how their individual driving history is evaluated rather than relying on an old mileage or radius definition.

See the complete OTR Experience Requirements. If your experience doesn’t match the description exactly, Contact Secrest Direct before assuming you don’t qualify.

A DAC report is a commercial-driver background report associated with HireRight and commonly used in the trucking industry as part of driver qualification and employment-history review. HireRight refers to the driver-specific file as a DAC Employment History report.

A DAC report is not the same thing as your state motor vehicle record, CDL, or every other record that may be reviewed during qualification. A motor carrier may use several sources when checking a driver’s work, driving, safety, and qualification history.

Because the information can affect a driver’s qualification, it is worth reviewing your own report for accuracy before an application if you have concerns about what may be reported.

See Driving & Safety Requirements or learn what happens during the Owner Operator Application Process. HireRight confirms that CDL drivers can request copies of DAC reports it maintains about them.

A CDL driver can request a copy of their DAC report directly from HireRight. HireRight allows drivers to request previously prepared DAC reports and active DAC database files it maintains about them. It also says the driver can receive a list of HireRight customers that may have received the report during the previous two years.

Review the report carefully for employment information or other records you believe may be incomplete or inaccurate. If something appears wrong, don’t wait until the middle of a qualification process to investigate it.

For information about how driver history fits into qualification, see Owner Operator Driver Qualifications and the Owner-Operator Application Process.

DAC Employment History is HireRight’s driver-specific employment-history report or file for CDL drivers. It can be used as one source of information when a motor carrier verifies a commercial driver’s prior work history during qualification.

It should not be confused with a state motor vehicle record. A qualification process may separately review driving records, previous employment, safety information, drug-and-alcohol requirements, and other records depending on what is required.

HireRight states that CDL drivers can request their DAC Employment History report/file directly; drivers without a CDL do not have this type of HireRight DAC Employment History file.

See Driving & Safety Requirements for the broader qualification picture.

If you believe information in a HireRight DAC or background report is inaccurate or incomplete, you can dispute the information directly with HireRight. Identify the specific record you believe is wrong and provide any documentation that can help support the correction.

HireRight states that disputes are free and that it will reinvestigate the disputed information. Depending on the nature and source of the record, its reinvestigation can take up to 30 days, or up to 45 days in limited circumstances.

Correcting an inaccurate report does not itself guarantee owner-operator qualification, but accurate records are important when your driving and employment history are reviewed.

See Owner Operator Driver Qualifications or Contact Secrest Direct if you’re unsure how a history concern may affect your next step.

A DOT medical card is the common name for the Medical Examiner’s Certificate used to document that a commercial driver meets applicable federal physical-qualification standards. Interstate commercial drivers receive their medical examination from an FMCSA-certified medical examiner listed on the National Registry.

The process has changed from the older paper-only system. Medical-certification results are now generally transmitted electronically through FMCSA’s National Registry system to state licensing agencies, although procedures can vary when a state has not fully implemented the electronic process.

For this opportunity, medical qualification is part of the broader driver-review process. See Owner-Operator Driver Requirements and the Owner Operator Application Process.

A HazMat endorsement requires a Transportation Security Administration security threat assessment. TSA’s process checks information related to criminal history, immigration or lawful-status eligibility, and terrorism or other security concerns before a state can issue or renew the hazardous-materials endorsement.

The TSA assessment is separate from the carrier’s overall owner-operator qualification review. A driver may still have other CDL, experience, driving-history, safety, equipment, and business requirements to meet.

Because HazMat requirements and individual circumstances can be complex, rely on current TSA and state licensing information rather than an old checklist.

See the Driver Requirements for how the endorsement fits into the broader qualification picture, or Contact Secrest Direct with a qualification question.

A driver can be denied a HazMat endorsement if they do not meet TSA’s security threat-assessment requirements. Factors can include certain disqualifying criminal offenses, immigration or lawful-status issues, and terrorism or other security-related findings.

Not every criminal record produces the same result. Federal rules distinguish among different disqualifying circumstances, and appeal or waiver procedures may be available in some situations. That is why a driver with a concern should review the current TSA requirements for their specific circumstances instead of relying on a general list found online.

A HazMat endorsement is only one part of owner-operator qualification. Review the Complete Driver Requirements or Contact Secrest Direct if you need to determine what should be clarified before applying.