R+L Carriers: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

R+L Carriers was founded in 1965 when Ralph L. "Larry" Roberts I and Ronald Campbell Jr. purchased a single truck to haul furniture, originally operating under the name R+L Trucking. The business grew after acquiring intrastate and interstate operating authority from Mayflower Moving and Storage, eventually becoming R+L Carriers, Inc. Deregulation of the trucking industry in the early 1980s, under the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, gave the company an opportunity to expand, leading to the creation of R+L Transfer, Inc. R+L Carriers remains headquartered in Wilmington, Ohio, and continues to be led by the Roberts family.

Over the following decades, R+L Carriers expanded through both organic growth and acquisitions, including Gator Freightways in 1989, Greenwood Motor Lines in 1992, and Herder Truck Lines in 1996, extending its reach across the South and other regions. The company grew from a single truck to a fleet of more than 20,000 tractors and trailers, now serving all 48 contiguous U.S. states plus Canada, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Dominican Republic. R+L Carriers ranks among the largest LTL carriers in the country, with annual revenue reported in the billions of dollars.

R+L Carriers' workforce is centered around professional truck drivers who handle LTL and truckload freight, supported by dock workers, terminal staff, and logistics and customer service personnel. Given the safety-sensitive nature of commercial trucking, driver qualifications and safety records are a central part of the company's hiring process.

Company culture and employee programs: R+L Carriers emphasizes its family ownership and long operating history as core parts of its brand identity, along with a stated commitment to customer satisfaction. As a large, established LTL carrier, the company maintains an extensive network of service centers supporting its nationwide operations. Benefits, scheduling, and advancement opportunities can vary by role and terminal location, so candidates should confirm specifics with a recruiter during the hiring process.

Yes. Employers in the commercial trucking and freight industry, including R+L Carriers, are legally required to conduct pre-employment background checks on driver candidates under federal Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, in addition to being permitted to screen other employees under standard employment law. In the United States, employment screening is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires employers to obtain written consent, provide disclosures, and follow adverse action procedures.

R+L Carriers is generally reported to conduct background checks as part of its hiring process, which is both standard practice and federally mandated for commercial truck drivers under DOT regulations, including reviews of driving history and prior employment with other DOT-regulated carriers.

The hiring process for driver positions at R+L Carriers typically includes an application, verification of commercial driver's license (CDL) qualifications, a review of driving and employment history, a DOT-mandated drug and alcohol screening, and a background check prior to a final offer.

Background check timelines can vary based on the type of screening requested and how quickly records, including DOT-required employment history verifications, can be completed. Learn more about typical background check turnaround times to understand what factors can affect the process.

A typical pre-employment background check for a commercial driving role may include:

Under the FCRA, criminal history reporting is generally limited to seven years for most background checks, though DOT regulations require review of a commercial driver's employment and safety history going back at least three years, and certain driving record checks may cover a longer period depending on state law.

Hiring decisions involving candidates with criminal records are generally made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the nature of the offense, how much time has passed, and its relevance to a safety-sensitive commercial driving role. Some states have adopted "ban-the-box" laws that restrict when employers can ask about criminal history during the hiring process.

Candidates for driver roles can generally expect to provide personal information such as full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number, a valid commercial driver's license, and signed consent authorizing the background check, in compliance with FCRA and DOT requirements.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that regulates how employers can use background check information in hiring decisions. It requires employers to notify candidates before running a check, obtain written consent, and follow specific adverse action procedures if a decision is made based on background check results.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what R+L Carriers may see during the hiring process, helping you address any concerns before you apply. A personal background check can include:

Learn more about Checkr Personal Background Checks and explore your Checkr Profile to see what information may appear in your own background check.

If you're a candidate with a background check in progress through Checkr as part of your application to R+L Carriers or another employer, you can check your status through the Candidate Portal. For additional support, visit the Checkr Help Center.

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. All information is for general informational purposes only. Checkr does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. This article may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader. Checkr does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites and disclaims any affiliation with the companies mentioned in this article unless otherwise stated.