Truck driver employment police checks

Australian National Character Check (ANCC) provides nationally coordinated criminal history checks to workers seeking employment or licensing as a truck driver in Australia.

Check timeframes: 70 percent of police checks are returned to applicants within 24 hours. Results are emailed on the same day they are received. Approximately 30 percent of checks may be referred to one or more police agencies and can take longer than 10 business days to be returned, due to the manual nature of this process.

Do you work in HR in a trucking or transportation organisation and need police checks for workers? Australian National Character Check (ANCC) provides a streamlined solution for national police checks via our business portal.

Please apply for your nationally coordinated criminal history check via the individual portal here. If the purpose of the police check is for employment, individual applicants should select the “Employment” check category on their application form. If the purpose of the check is for licensing, please select the “Licensing” check category on the application form.

Businesses (e.g. truck services and transport organisations) seeking bulk background checks can apply for access to the ANCC Business Portal.

Truck drivers are crucial to the functioning of the Australian economy. They help to ensure the efficient movement of essential food and items we use in our daily lives. The trucking industry employs about 246,000 people, of which about 97% are male.

Because of the sensitive nature of this profession, truck drivers undergo employment background checks. These checks ensure the suitability and reliability of the applicants. Police checks are a crucial component of this background check and they provide an insight into the applicant's criminal past, helping to make informed hiring decisions.

Officially referred to as a nationally coordinated criminal history check (NCCHC), a police check shows an applicant's criminal history, including court convictions (penalties and fines), charges, court hearings, finding of guilt, court hearings, good behaviour bonds, and other court orders.

As a police check reveals an applicant's criminal history, decision makers can analyse potential hiring risks associated with the applicant and make informed hiring decisions.

For truck drivers, this can mean ensuring they have the right temperament. For example, an applicant with a violent criminal history may pose a safety risk to co-workers and other road users. An applicant with a history of theft may pose a theft risk. Moreover, an applicant with a sex-related criminal offence may engage in sexual harassment in the workplace, putting others at risk.

Getting a police check as a truck driver in Australia is straightforward. The ACIC works with accredited bodies and police agencies across the country to make police checking accessible for Australians.

The process for obtaining a police check includes the following:

You can apply for a police check through an ACIC-accredited body or a police agency. Applications are typically online and involve filling out an online form with your full name, date of birth, address, and purpose of the check. You must also upload four identification documents. They are:

• 1) One commencement of ID document
• 2) One primary use in community documents
• 3) Two secondary use in community documents
• 4) A biometric link that links you with your identity documents

Finally, you must pay the associated fee to submit your application. This fee depends on the accredited ACIC body you're using. For example, Australian National Character Check (ANCC) charges a base fee of $52.90 + GST.

After you apply, the accredited body or police agency looks through the application and ID documents to confirm your identity. After that, they lodge your application details into the National Police Checking Service Support System (NSS).

The system runs a name-matching algorithm to find a potential match. If it doesn't find a match, the system instantly returns a 'No disclosable court outcome’ (NDCO) to the police agency or accredited body requesting the check. Conversely, if it finds a potential match, the system forwards this information to the relevant police agency(s). The police agency then analyses this result to ensure its validity. If it's not a valid match, the police agency returns an NDCO to the body that requested the check. If there is a match, it goes through the vetting process. In the vetting stage, the police agency(s) applies the relevant spent conviction scheme and information release policies to determine which of the applicant's criminal offences are releasable before sending the result to the body requesting the check.

The accredited body or police agency notifies you once the check result is available. If you apply through a police agency, you will get the check result on a National Police Certificate (NPC). Conversely, accredited ACIC bodies can customise their certificate upon approval from ACIC.

About 70% of police check applications are completed instantly. This typically occurs when the system doesn't find a potential match, so it automatically returns an NDCO. However, if it finds a match, it sends it for manual processing. This process can take longer than 10 business days.

Technically speaking, police checks (including those for truck drivers) do not expire. However, as a point-in-time check, they only reveal an applicant's criminal history to the check release date. That means the longer away it is from the check release date, the less information it may contain on the applicant's criminal past. Employers set a predefined time-frame based on their operational requirements and risk assessment. Most trucking companies do not accept a police check that is older than three months.

ANCC is an ACIC-accredited police checking agency. As one of Australia's leading police checking services, we provide efficient and affordable police checks. Our services are available to individuals and businesses.

Are you seeking employment as a truck driver? Do you need a police check to aid your hiring process? ANCC's portal is ideal for people looking for an online police checking service. All you need to do is fill in our online form, upload the necessary documents, and pay the associated fee. This process takes minutes and is completely online. You'll instantly be notified by email when the result is available.

HR managers in the trucking industry can rely on ANCC's business portal to manage bulk police checks. Our business portal makes it easy to order and track multiple police check applications in real time, making it easy to compare applicants. Set up a business account today to get started.