Yes, FedEx does run background checks, and it does so on essentially every applicant, from corporate hires to warehouse package handlers to delivery drivers. At a minimum, every candidate goes through a criminal history review and identity verification before a final offer. Driving roles add motor vehicle record checks, federal drug testing, and other Department of Transportation requirements on top of that baseline.
The screening applies across the company’s structure. Corporate staff, ground-level package handlers, and final-mile drivers are all checked. Drivers who work for FedEx Ground’s Independent Service Providers meet the same eligibility standards as direct FedEx employees in driving roles.
What the Background Check Looks At
The exact combination of checks depends on the position, but the categories are consistent.
- Criminal history. Investigators search felony and misdemeanor conviction databases. Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, consumer reporting agencies generally cannot report non-conviction records (such as dismissed charges or arrests that did not lead to conviction) older than seven years. Convictions have no federal time limit and can appear regardless of age, though some states impose their own restrictions.
- Sex offender registries, particularly for positions involving residential deliveries or access to homes.
- Motor vehicle records for any role that involves driving, covering traffic violations, license suspensions, and accident history.
- Drug screening. Positions covered by Department of Transportation regulations require a pre-employment drug test. Non-driving roles may also require screening depending on the facility.
- Employment and education verification, especially for corporate and management roles.
Extra Requirements for Driving Positions
If you are applying for a role that involves operating a commercial motor vehicle, defined by federal regulations as any vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, federal requirements apply on top of FedEx’s own standards.1Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Commercial Motor Vehicle Weight Rating Guidance
Pre-Employment Drug Test
Before you can perform any safety-sensitive driving function, you must pass a controlled substances test with a verified negative result.2eCFR. 49 CFR 382.301 – Pre-Employment Testing DOT regulations require a standardized five-panel test that screens for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, and phencyclidine.3eCFR. 49 CFR Part 40 – Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Laboratories are prohibited from testing DOT specimens for substances beyond those five categories. FedEx may use broader panels for non-DOT positions.
FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse
Employers hiring CDL drivers must query the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, an online database that tracks drug and alcohol program violations by commercial license holders.4Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse If a previous employer reported a positive test, a refusal to test, or another violation, FedEx will see it in real time, even if it does not appear on your standard background report.
DOT Medical Certification
Commercial drivers must also hold a valid DOT medical examiner’s certificate, which requires passing a physical exam conducted by a registered medical examiner. The federal standards cover vision, hearing, cardiovascular health, blood pressure, respiratory function, and neurological conditions, among other areas.5eCFR. 49 CFR 391.41 – Physical Qualifications for Drivers
What Can Disqualify You
A criminal record is not an automatic bar, and standards vary across FedEx divisions. The published requirements for FedEx Custom Critical owner-operators and their drivers give a concrete picture of how the company thinks about driving-role eligibility.
For criminal records, Custom Critical uses minimum waiting periods measured from the date you completed your sentence, probation, parole, or court-ordered diversion, not the date of the offense:6FedEx Custom Critical. Qualifications and Specifications – Small Straight Trucks
- Felony: at least seven years since clearance.
- DUI or DWI: at least five years since conviction.
- Misdemeanor: at least three years since conviction.
- Sexual offense with an active registration order: permanently disqualifying.
Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or controlled substances within the past five years, or any refusal to submit to DOT-mandated testing during that period, also disqualifies an applicant.
On the driving-record side, Custom Critical looks at both 36-month and 60-month windows. Broadly, more than one preventable accident or more than two moving violations in the past three years, or more than four moving violations in the past five, will knock an applicant out. Any preventable accident that caused a fatality, serious injury, or a payout over $100,000 is disqualifying regardless of when it happened. Citations in the past year for handheld phone use, texting while driving a commercial vehicle, or failing to wear a seatbelt in a commercial vehicle are also disqualifying.6FedEx Custom Critical. Qualifications and Specifications – Small Straight Trucks
What You’ll Need to Provide
Before the check begins, you have to authorize it in writing. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the employer must give you a clear, standalone written notice that it intends to obtain a background report, and you must provide written permission.7Federal Trade Commission. Background Checks on Prospective Employees – Keep Required Disclosures Simple The authorization is typically sent by email or made available through the hiring portal.
You will also need to provide:
- Your Social Security number
- A government-issued photo ID
- Residential addresses for the past several years
- Employment history and any name variations, including maiden names or legal name changes
Accuracy matters. Discrepancies between what you provide and what investigators find in official databases can delay the process or complicate your application.
How Long the Process Takes
After you sign the authorization, your information goes to a third-party screening company. FedEx has used First Advantage for this. The screening company searches the relevant databases, contacts previous employers or schools if needed, and compiles a report.
Criminal record searches are often completed within a day or two. Employment and education verifications typically take one to three days. A straightforward screening with no complications may wrap up in three to five business days, but complex histories, court records that require manual retrieval, or high application volume can push the timeline to a week or more. Responding quickly to any request for clarification, such as an address discrepancy, helps avoid delays.
Your Rights If the Report Raises Concerns
Federal law gives you protections if FedEx decides not to hire you based on your background report, and the process has two required steps.
First, before making a final decision, FedEx must send you a “pre-adverse action” notice with a copy of the report it relied on and a summary of your rights under the FCRA. That gives you a chance to review the report and flag errors before the decision becomes final.8U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Background Checks – What Employers Need to Know
Second, if FedEx ultimately decides not to hire you, it must send a final adverse action notice telling you that the decision was based at least in part on the background report. That notice must include the name and contact information of the screening company, a statement that the screening company did not make the hiring decision, and information about your right to dispute the report’s accuracy and to request a free copy within 60 days.8U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Background Checks – What Employers Need to Know
If the report contains errors, such as a conviction that belongs to someone with a similar name or charges that were dismissed but still appear, you can file a dispute directly with the screening company, which is required to investigate and correct inaccuracies.
Applying With a Criminal Record
A criminal record does not automatically disqualify you from working at FedEx, especially for non-driving roles with different eligibility standards. Federal guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission discourages blanket exclusions and instead directs employers to weigh three factors, known as the Green factors, when evaluating applicants with criminal histories:9U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions
- The nature and gravity of the offense. A minor misdemeanor carries less weight than a violent felony.
- The time that has passed since the offense and the completion of any sentence.
- The nature of the job. A theft conviction matters more for a role handling high-value packages than for a desk job with no access to goods.
More than 35 states and the District of Columbia have also enacted “ban-the-box” or fair chance hiring laws that restrict when employers can ask about criminal history. These laws generally keep criminal history questions off the initial application and delay background checks until after a conditional offer or first interview. The specific protections available to you depend on where you live and work.
If you have a record and are asked about it, being upfront tends to work in your favor. Employers generally treat dishonesty on an application as a more serious concern than the underlying offense.