Driver Authorization

The Department Head/MSO is ultimately responsible for authorizing appropriate persons to drive on department business. Legal consequences may ensue if your organization allows a driver to operate a University vehicle without a proper license (a misdemeanor under VC 14604).

Set Standards for your Department’s Drivers

Authorization to drive requires up to four elements: driver training, driver’s license verification, driver’s signature, and permission from a department official. UC Berkeley has established minimum standards for these elements (see chart).

The Department Head/MSO may set stricter standards for the department. Beyond safety considerations, stricter standards may prove more efficient. For example, the campuswide standards depend partially on driving frequency. Tracking that frequency may be difficult and the frequency may change unexpectedly. Your department may determine that the simpler and more certain path is to require all drivers to undergo the same level of training and records monitoring regardless of driving frequency.

In addition, the campus standards for driver’s signature requires only that drivers sign an appropriate disclosure form or certification (link). You may also require that all drivers sign a more detailed agreement covering other responsibilities of the driver as well as any procedures unique to your department.

Except for a few corner cases, most of the campus standards are focused on University vehicles. You must decide what standards will apply to personal or rental vehicles driven on University business.

Finally, you must determine who is empowered to grant permission to drive on department business and whether permission should be in verbal or written form. The answer may vary according to the type of driver, the class of vehicle, or the nature of the driving activity.

Deadlines

If your department requires an extension, contact Fleet Services (fleet@berkeley.edu).

• Identify all departmental drivers that are required to participate in driver training or driver record monitoring by (date to be determined, approximately two months after program launch).
• Ensure that your department obtains driver record monitoring for the appropriate drivers by (date to be determined; approximately five months after program launch).
• Ensure that the appropriate drivers complete the Online Defensive Driver Training Program by (date to be determined; approximately eight months after program launch

Roles and Duties

The suggested roles found below are described as if they are filled by different people with varying degrees of overlap, but the duties may be organized as your department sees fit.

Driver Data Coordinator (DDC)

The Driver Data Coordinator is an employee designated to maintain the department’s list of authorized drivers, or a subset thereof. The DDC is a confidential position that must handle private and protected data appropriately. The DDC must possess an effective avenue for addressing issues with drivers that do not meet the University’s standard for driving on University business, regardless of the driver’s reporting relationship with the DDC. The DDC may be empowered to perform any or all of the following duties:

• Identify and classify drivers
• Ensure that all required elements of authorization are in place before a driver is listed as approved
• Assign driver training and verify that training is completed
• Originate requests for driver records, receive and review those records, and notify appropriate persons as needed
• Serve as one of the department officials who may grant permission to drive on department business
• Perform a visual license inspection for those drivers not enrolled in driver record monitoring

Vehicle Custodian (VC)

The Vehicle Custodian is an employee charged with the proper care and custody of one or more department vehicles. The VC may be empowered to perform any or all of the following duties:

• Control access to department vehicles and ensure that only authorized drivers obtain access
• Serve as one of the department officials who may grant permission to drive on department business
• Ensure that vehicles are properly inspected and maintained
• Ensure that trip logs are properly utilized, and provide copies to the Driver Data Coordinator
• Perform a visual license inspection for those drivers not enrolled in driver record monitoring

Driver's Supervisor (DS)

The Driver’s Supervisor is the direct supervisor of one or more drivers. The DS may be empowered to to perform any or all of the following duties:

• Advise the Driver Data Coordinator before adding a driver, removing a driver, or changing a driver’s driving frequency or the type of vehicle driven
• Assign driver training and verify that training is completed
• Serve as one of the department officials who may grant permission to drive on department business
• Perform a visual license inspection for those drivers not enrolled in driver record monitoring

Driver

Anyone who drives on University business must complete any required training, must enroll in driver record monitoring if required, and must read, understand, and sign one of several possible agreements, disclosures, or releases

The Driver Data Coordinator maintains the department’s list of authorized drivers, or a subset thereof. Legal consequences may ensue if your organization allows a driver to operate a University vehicle without a proper license (a misdemeanor under VC 14604).

Understand Your Department's Standards for Authorizing Drivers

Authorization to drive requires up to four elements: driver training, driver’s license verification, driver’s agreement, and permission from a department official. UC Berkeley has established minimum campuswide standards for these elements (see chart), but check with your Department Head/MSO. Your department may elect to employ a stricter set of standards.

Understand Your Role

The Driver Data Coordinator (DDC) is a confidential position that must handle private and protected data appropriately. Because driver’s license numbers are protected data, it is important to ensure that you and your department always use secure methods to communicate them. Do not store license numbers in any electronic format or send them by email.

In addition, the DDC must possess an effective avenue for addressing issues with drivers that do not meet the University’s standard for driving on University business, regardless of the driver’s reporting relationship with the DDC.

The DDC identifies and classifies departmental drivers. Note that you may have drivers other than employees -- students, volunteers, visitors, consultants, or other affiliates. Also consider that depending on your department’s standards, the drivers you are responsible for may extend to those driving not just department vehicles, but also rental vehicles and personal vehicles driven on department business. If you are not a Driver’s Supervisor, you will likely rely on others to inform you when a driver is to be added or deleted.

The DDC determines when a driver is required to take the Online Defensive Driver Training course, assigns training as needed, and verifies that training is completed. If you are the Driver’s Supervisor, you should be able to verify training by viewing the managerial panel in the UC Learning Center. Otherwise, you will need to consult the Driver’s Supervisor or else ask the Driver to print the training certificate and provide you a copy.

The DDC determines when a driver requires enrollment in Centralized Driver Record Monitoring. If so, the DDC originates the Request for Driver Records, obtains the signature of the Department Head/MSO, signs the Authorization for Release of Driver Records as the Department Representative, receives and reviews any information returned, and informs the Driver’s Supervisor, the Vehicle Custodian, and any others as needed.

If someone occasionally drives a University vehicle but does not require enrollment in Centralized Driver record monitoring, a Visual License Inspection With Driver’s Self Certification is required (link). Check with your Department Head/MSO for details on who should sign the Visual Inspection as the Department Representative.

The DDC maintains records of driver’s agreements. At a minimum, any driver enrolled in Driver Record Monitoring must sign some form of release. Check with your Department Head/MSO to determine whether drivers must sign any other documents.

Finally, the DDC maintains records when a department official grants permission to drive on department business. Check with your Department Head/MSO to determine who in your department -- possibly including yourself -- has the authority to grant permission to drive on department business and for which drivers, vehicles, and driving activities.

The Vehicle Custodian is responsible for the care and custody of one or more department vehicles. Legal consequences may ensue if your organization allows a driver to operate a University vehicle without a proper license (a misdemeanor under VC 14604).

While this page is focused on Driver Authorization, a Vehicle Custodian does have other duties as well. Those other duties are summarized here.

Understand Your Department's Standards for Authorizing Drivers

Authorization to drive requires up to four elements: driver training, driver’s license verification, driver’s agreement, and permission from a department official. UC Berkeley has established minimum campuswide standards for these elements (see chart), but check with your Department Head/MSO. Your department may elect to employ a stricter set of standards.

Understand Your Role

As the Vehicle Custodian (VC), you control access to department vehicles. Before allowing any driver access to a department vehicle, you must ensure that the drivers is authorized. Your department’s list of authorized drivers is maintained by your Driver Data Coordinator (DDC), so you will need to communicate closely with the DDC.

Check with your Department Head/MSO to determine whether you have the authority to perform either of the following duties:

• Grant permission to drive on department business (this power may be restricted to certain drivers, certain vehicles, or certain driving activities)
• Perform a Visual License Inspection With Driver Self-Certification for those who need to drive a department vehicle but do not require enrollment in Centralized Driver Record Monitoring

The Driver’s Supervisor is responsible for any drivers within their span of control, whether employees, volunteers, or affiliates. Legal consequences may ensue if your organization allows a driver to operate a University vehicle without a proper license (a misdemeanor under VC 14604).

Understand Your Department's Standards for Authorizing Drivers

Authorization to drive requires up to four elements: driver training, driver’s license verification, driver’s agreement, and permission from a department official. UC Berkeley has established minimum campuswide standards for these elements (see chart), but check with your Department Head/MSO. Your department may elect to employ a stricter set of standards.

Understand Your Role

As the Driver’s Supervisor (DS), you must advise the Driver Data Coordinator (DDC) when adding a driver, removing a driver, or when changing a driver’s driving frequency or the type of vehicle driven.

The DS uses the administrative panel in the UC Learning Center to assign driver training as needed. The course code for the Online Defensive Driving Course is BEPRO-DDT2015. If an open captioned version is preferred, use BEPRO-DDT-CAP2015 instead. When a driver completes the training, you should verify the completion in the managerial panel and inform the DDC of the completion date. Alternatively, you may arrange for the driver to provide the DDC with a printed copy of the training certificate at the end of the course.

When a driver is enrolled in Driver Record Monitoring, your DDC may inform you when reports are received and provide you with appropriate guidance. If the driver is later separated, you must ensure that the DDC immediately removes the driver from the monitoring program.

If someone occasionally drives a University vehicle but does not require enrollment in Centralized Driver record monitoring, a Visual License Inspection With Driver’s Self Certification is required. Check with your Department Head/MSO for details on who should sign the Visual Inspection as the Department Representative.

Also check with your Department Head/MSO to determine who in your department -- possibly including yourself -- has the authority to grant permission to drive on department business and for which drivers, vehicles, and driving activities.

Understand Your Department's Standards for Authorizing Drivers

Authorization to drive requires up to four elements: driver training, driver’s license verification, driver’s agreement, and permission from a department official. UC Berkeley has established minimum campuswide standards for these elements (see chart), but check with your supervisor. Your department may elect to employ a stricter set of standards.

Understand Your Role

Online Defensive Driver Training

Your supervisor or your Driver Data Coordinator will inform you if you are required to take the Online Defensive Driver Training course. At your option, and with permission from your department, you may also take the course even if not required.

To access the course:

1. Use the citrix access gateway, a third-party plugin that runs UC Learning Center content, regardless of what browser or operating system you use
2. Click on UC Learning Center
3. After loading, a separate window opens and you may login with your CalNet credentials
4. Put BEPRO-DDT2015 into the search box, or if you prefer an open captioned version of the training, use BEPRO-DDT-CAP2015 instead
5. Click the Search button. A summary of the course appears on the main panel of the screen
6. Click the blue Register button
7. Click the green Start button
8. At the end of the course, you may print the training certificate
9. Some departments may require that you print the certificate and present it to a department representative

If you do not have a CalNet login: ask your department to add you as an affiliate to the Human Resources system. For further guidance, refer to the UC Learning Center Access Assistant from Environment, Health & Safety

Centralized Driver Record Monitoring

Your supervisor or your Driver Data Coordinator will inform you if you are required to enroll in Centralized Driver Record Monitoring.

If so, you will be required to sign some type of release, disclosure, or agreement form. If you do not sign the form, you will not be permitted to drive a department vehicle. A department representative also signs the form, which states that the University will only use the information for legitimate business purposes.

When you leave the University, your supervisor or Driver Data Coordinator should immediately cancel your enrollment in Centralized Driver Record Monitoring.

If you need to drive a department vehicle but are not required to enroll in Centralized Driver Record Monitoring, you will be required to sign your portion of a Visual License Inspection With Driver Self-Certification (link).