Why is Background Screening so Important?

At CitizenShipper, safety has always been our highest priority. We are thoroughly invested in creating a safe community for customers and transporters alike.

We perform comprehensive background screenings, including physical address and phone number verifications.

To perform these comprehensive background checks, we rely on Checkr, a reputable screening service accredited by BSCC and PBSA (formerly known as NAPBS).

The process assures that all the drivers have:

• Zero felonies in the past five years
• Zero felonies in the last ten years involving theft or violence
• Zero DUI arrests within the last five years
• No outstanding arrest warrants
• No pattern of misdemeanors 
• No history of child abuse
• No history of animal abuse
• No history of sexual abuse
• No Repetitive speed violations, driving under influence of drugs and alcohol, driving when driver's license is suspended, revoked, denied, or restrained

In addition, our screening includes:

• SSN validation*
• Sex offender registry check
• Global watchlist check
• State criminal records check
• National criminal records check

CitizenShipper also reserves the right to review and investigate a driver's criminal history to the extent permissible under the law. CitizenShipper, at its own discretion, will make a determination based upon the best interest of creating a secure marketplace.

Whenever a new transporter joins CitizenShipper, we collect all the information required to perform a criminal background check before they start bidding on shipments. The investigation itself is performed as soon as they have won the first shipment. (The information collected from drivers that join the site but don't actively engage in bidding is not processed.) After we submit the information to Checkr, we expect the results back within three business days.

*Please note that we do not store any SSNs. It's used by Checkr to process the background check, and there's no credit check made in the process.

**Update Due to the COVID-19 crisis approximately 40% of county courts across the country have, or will be, temporarily closed. As a result, there is a significant delay in returning background check reports and results could take many weeks.

What to read next

For more on dealing with drivers on the CitizenShipper platform, see our articles on safety in communication (1-min read) and driver profiles (1-min read).

We also recommend the Quick-start guide and the Safety and security section.