The United Parcel Service (UPS) is an international shipping company that recruits employees worldwide. UPS checks criminal history and conducts drug screening of all applicants, and checks driving history of applicants who will operate company vehicles. These background checks ensure that the company recruits the highest quality employees, and so have a significant impact on the UPS hiring process.

Driving History

The United Parcel Service conducts extensive driving history background checks for all employees who wish to operate vehicles owned by the company. UPS looks at both personal and work-related driving history for those who hold a Commercial Drivers License (CDL). Included in the background check are any parking or speeding tickets, any history of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and any driving related convictions the applicant may have.

Criminal Background Checks

Because UPS is responsible for the transportation of thousands of packages around the world on a daily basis, the company must ensure that every potential applicant is able to pass a criminal background check. All applications are screened through an electronic database which checks for criminal convictions on both state and federal levels. The background screen includes felony convictions for crimes such as theft, drug trafficking and crimes of violence, and is done to exclude candidates who may present a risk of theft or violence in the workplace. While criminal background checks play a large part in the hiring process, minor convictions on misdemeanor charges such as unpaid parking tickets may be excluded from consideration.

Drug Usage

All applicants considered for employment must undergo pre-employment drug testing. All applicants are required to pass the drug screen before being offered employment. Individual drug tests look for the presence of drugs such as THC (marijuana), opiates such as heroin, stimulants such as cocaine and the presence of amphetamines such as crystal methamphetamine. Testing is usually done at an authorized health care facility and results are then sent to the human resources division of UPS before an offer for employment is made. Drug testing is considered a mandatory step in the background check investigation.