INSIDE

Pre-emPloyment Screening Program rePort 2012

Reaching the Motor Carrier Industry ................. 2

NIC Cares .......................... 3

Operational Excellence ...... 4

n 2009, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) awarded a unique, no-cost contract to NIC for the Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP). FMCSA

pays nothing to NIC for any aspect of the PSP service. NIC recoups its investment through fees paid by the motor carriers and drivers accessing PSP information. This innovative approach to IT delivery allows FMCSA to offer a best-in-class, secure web application without using any of the agency’s budget dollars.

FMCSA provides all oversight and guidance for the PSP program, and maintains ownership of the PSP data at all times. NIC provides the hosting, infrastructure, development, marketing, customer service, industry outreach, and day-to-day program management. NIC maintains compliance with all applicable accessibility, privacy, and information security regulations and standards. General Manager Elizabeth Pemmerl is responsible for all aspects of NIC’s PSP service delivery.

During the year, it was bittersweet for all team members to wish Arlene Thompson farewell as she retired from FMCSA

service. Arlene was a tireless champion of PSP and all team members greatly enjoyed working with her. Jeff Secrist and Vivian Oliver have assumed PSP leadership duties, and NIC looks forward to a productive and successful partnership in 2013!

A Unique PartnershipA No-Cost Contract Yields Efficiencies and Results for All Stakeholders

Celebrating at Arlene Thompson’s retirement party. L-R: Laura Fredrickson, Arlene Thompson, Michael Johnsen, Elizabeth Pemmerl, and Scott Valentine.

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2 | NICT - PSP REPORT 2012

s part of the PSP partnership, NIC provides PSP education and

outreach to motor carriers, industry service providers, and commercial drivers. PSP is a sought-after topic at many conferences and meetings. Under the leadership of Laura Fredrickson, the marketing team ensures that the NIC

team participates in as many events and associations as time allows. In 2012 alone, the NIC team provided 33 presentations and webinars to thousands of people in the motor carrier community. Prior to a PSP presentation or webinar, the NIC team works with FMCSA to approve all slides and content, ensuring the presentation

coincides with agency messaging. All costs for travel are covered by NIC.

Another way NIC reaches the motor carrier industry is through participation in meetings, conferences, and exhibitions. In 2012, the NIC team attended 18 industry events and staffed a PSP booth. These events

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2012 was another successful year for PSP as FMCSA launched improvements and enhancements to the

program. Headlining the developments was PSP 2.0. The second iteration of PSP allows industry service providers, or “ISPs,” to directly access PSP driver records. ISPs are companies that are not necessarily motor carriers, but are directly involved in the hiring of drivers. This group includes driver staffing companies, driver leasing companies, third-party screening businesses, and intrastate carriers.

On the heels of the September PSP 2.0 launch, FMCSA and NIC announced the launch of the PSP iPhone application. This application offers PSP subscribers the ability to request and view a driver’s PSP report from their iPhone or iPad. The app mirrors the functionality of the PSP online service, while presenting the information in a format that is optimized for mobile devices. The NIC-developed application is available for free download in iTunes. Approximately 500 PSP subscribers downloaded the app in the fourth quarter of 2012.

In 2012, the NIC and FMCSA teams were also pleased to launch improvements to the account holder audit process. When enrolling in PSP, each account holder agrees that they will obtain a driver’s consent before requesting the driver’s PSP record. To ensure all account holders are adhering to this obligation, NIC runs monthly audits on behalf of FMCSA. A random sampling of motor carriers and ISPs is selected for the audit. They are each required to submit up to three specific driver consent forms. Each form is evaluated by a member of the PSP customer service team to ensure it meets FMCSA-defined standards. During 2012, more than 2,200 PSP record requests were audited.

To help account holders understand the audit process, NIC hosted more than 20 webinars to communicate and explain the details. In addition, educational collateral was developed by NIC and distributed through email campaigns and at trucking industry events. NIC has also worked closely with the American Trucking Associations and various industry organizations to offer webinars and provide news-letter articles. It has been NIC’s goal to ensure that all carriers are aware of their obligations and are using the PSP system according to defined terms and conditions.

During the year, FMCSA and NIC finalized procedures for motor carriers that do not successfully complete the audit process. Companies that fail to comply with the driver consent process are subject to penalties that range from warnings to suspension or termination from the PSP service. n

2012 Brought Exciting Enhancements to the Pre-Employment Screening ProgramThe Program Expands Through PSP 2.0, the PSP iPhone Application and Account Holder Audits

PSP Team Works Hard to Reach Motor Carrier Industry

PSP record requests by month

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80000

DecNovOctSepAugJulJunMayAprMarFebJan

Monthly PSP Record Requests

NICT - PSP REPORT 2012 | 3

ne of NIC’s core philosophies is to improve the communities where we live and work. Our work – bringing eGovernment solutions to businesses and constituents – is the beginning

of how we improve the lives of fellow citizens. We are also very active with community organizations and initiatives.

The Arlington-based NIC Technologies team donates time, resources, and talent to organizations in the D.C. area. In 2012, one of NIC’s activities was volunteering at the Capital Area Food Bank. On multiple occasions, NIC employees worked alongside CAFB employees and other volunteers to pack and sort food donations. NIC participated in an annual on-site work blood drive, donating many pints of blood to a local blood bank. The team was also involved with collecting new and gently used shoes for the Soles for Souls program.

To make sure we’re at our best at work, we foster a culture that encourages health and wellness. In May, NIC’s Elizabeth Pemmerl and Laura Fredrickson joined 20 colleagues from more than 10 NIC business units to complete a half-marathon in Providence, R.I. Elizabeth was thrilled to have so many employees support her home state, as the race proceeds benefit many local organizations.

In addition, the team participates in “healthy weight” and “10,000 step” challenges sponsored by NIC. We encourage one another to make health a priority and have fun while we’re doing it! n

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NIC CaresNIC’s 2012 Community Involvement

NIC Technologies volunteering at the Capital Area Food Bank.

The NIC team is all smiles after another successful year.

Elizabeth and Laura are feeling strong at the finish of the Providence Half Marathon!

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4601 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 1160Arlington, VA 22203

(877) 642-9499www.psp.fmcsa.dot.gov

NIC and FMCSA place top priority on IT security. In 2012, under FMCSA’s guidance, NIC began a

project to complete a full PSP-system security authorization process with a third-party security assessor. Ensuring that PSP adheres to FISMA and DOT security controls is a top priority to the NIC staff. The security authorization is scheduled to be completed by mid-2013. As with all aspects of this no-cost contract, NIC assumes the costs associated with the security authorization process.

The PSP users enjoy the benefit of a very knowledgeable and accessible customer service team. The team serves as the PSP experts for more than 25,000 users. During 2012, under the direction of Joan Kalvaitis, the customer service team handled 23,000 phone calls, responded to more than 10,000 emails, and enrolled

more than 2,000 new account holders. This talented team performs a variety of functions including account enrollment, gathering customer feedback (that generally drives system enhancements), password resets, and answering all program-related questions. The customer service team is 100 percent dedicated to the PSP application, which leads to high PSP user satisfaction.

PSP users have sent NIC feedback praising the benefits of the program.

Rick from Super Service LLC writes, “PSP has been a great tool in our hiring process. Thanks!”

Jill, director of safety at National Carriers, shared, “Awesome – [PSP] gives us another tool to measure a driver’s performance.”

Derentz from Southland Transportation Company said, “PSP is the best thing that has happened to the trucking industry in a long time!”

Operational ExcellenceSecurity and Customer Support Remained an Important Focus in 2012

NIC Technologies, LLCA member of the NIC family of companies

PSP Team Works Hard to Reach Motor Carrier Industry | continued from page 2 |

allow motor carriers, drivers, and industry representatives to conduct one-on-one, detailed discussions about PSP and its important role in safety.

Outreach is a key way to increase PSP adoption. In 2012, nearly 2,000 new accounts were enrolled in PSP. Collectively, all PSP users requested 25 percent more drivers’ PSP records than in 2011, an exciting demonstra-tion of PSP’s growth and its importance to the industry.

Sarah, director of operations at Arkansas Trucking Association, shared, “Thank you so very much for hosting and organizing the webinar for the Arkansas Trucking Association. I truly appreciate it. You are always very informative and your delivery is well-received.” n