Do brokers require a driver handbook?

Not by that name, but broker contracts and state manuals require the rules a handbook collects. CareOregon has providers explain conduct expectations at hire and collect each driver's signed acknowledgment of the brokerage's code of conduct. Georgia's NEMT manual lists driver conduct standards that must appear in every transportation service agreement. Federal Medicaid law also has states make sure every paid NEMT provider has a process for handling drug law violations and for disclosing each driver's driving history, and a signed handbook is the clearest place to show both.

Can a handbook turn at-will employment into a contract?

Add a clear statement that the handbook is not a contract and can change, because state law decides how much weight its promises carry. Montana is the sharpest example: after a probationary period, a firing without good cause is wrongful there, and so is a firing that materially breaks an express provision of the employer's own written personnel policy. Have a lawyer in your state read the final version.

Do drivers get paid for time spent reading the handbook?

Yes, in almost every case. Federal wage rules let an employer skip pay for training or a meeting only if it happens outside normal hours, attendance is genuinely optional, the subject is not directly job related, and the employee does no productive work during it. Reviewing the handbook during onboarding fails at least the voluntary and job-related tests, so count it as hours worked.

Can the handbook forbid drivers from discussing pay?

Not safely. Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act protects employees who act together for "mutual aid or protection," and the NLRB treats rules that reasonably tend to inhibit those rights as unlawful. Aim the confidentiality section at rider information and business records such as rates and contracts, and leave pay and working conditions out of it.

How long should signed acknowledgments be kept?

Keep each acknowledgment for as long as the driver works for you, then for the longest period any rule sets. Under HIPAA, a covered entity keeps privacy policies, training records, and sanction records six years from creation or from the date last in effect. Federal wage rules keep payroll records at least three years. Broker contracts may set their own periods.

How often should the handbook be updated?

Review it at least once a year and whenever a broker contract, state rule, or company policy changes. When a privacy policy changes in a material way, HIPAA has you retrain the staff whose work it affects within a reasonable time, so announce each change, collect a new signature for anything material, and date every version.

NEMT Driver Handbook Template (Free, 2026)

How to build your handbook from this outline

A driver handbook is where your broker rules, state rules, and company rules meet in plain words a driver can follow on a Tuesday morning. Build it once, keep it short enough to read in one sitting, and have every driver sign it before the first trip.

Start from your strictest contract. Pull the driver requirements out of every broker agreement and state Medicaid manual you work under. When two rules differ, the handbook uses the stricter one.
Fill in each section below. Brackets mark the choices you make. Keep the policies that already exist as separate documents, such as the drug and alcohol policy and the cell phone policy, and summarize them here with a pointer.
Have it reviewed. An employment lawyer in your state should read the at-will, discipline, and pay sections.
Train on it. Walk new drivers through it during paid onboarding, then collect the signature. The driver onboarding checklist shows where it fits in the first week.
Version it. Put the version date in the footer of every page and on the acknowledgment.

The outline

Section 1: Purpose, contacts, and how the rules fit together

Welcome, company contacts, and who to call for what (dispatch, supervisor, after-hours line).
Statement that the handbook is not a contract, that the company may change it with notice, and [your state’s at-will language].
Which document wins if the handbook and a broker contract disagree: [the stricter rule applies].

Section 2: Driver qualifications

Minimum age [21], years licensed [2], and license class for each vehicle.
Driving record limits, for example [at most two chargeable crashes or moving violations in the past three years].
Background checks, exclusion list checks, and drug screens before hire and [on your schedule].
Required training before the first trip, such as passenger assistance, first aid and CPR, HIPAA, defensive driving, and wheelchair securement.
Report any ticket, arrest, license suspension, or expired credential to [name] within [24 hours].

Section 3: Conduct and appearance

Wear [the uniform shirt / company ID badge] where riders can see it and show it at pickup.
No smoking, vaping, or tobacco in the vehicle or near a rider, and a no-smoking sign in every vehicle.
No eating or drinking in the vehicle while riders are aboard or while assisting them.
Physical contact with riders is limited to assisting with boarding, seating, and belts, or giving first aid you are trained to give.
No passengers who are not on the trip, and no personal stops with riders aboard.
Go light on fragrance. Some riders react to perfume, lotion, and air fresheners.
Treat every rider, facility, and coworker with respect. [Your equal opportunity and anti-harassment statement.]

Section 4: Rider assistance

Match your help to the service level printed on the trip, including hand to hand when a rider must be handed to a named person.
Announce yourself at the entrance when the pickup is not at the curb.
Get out of the vehicle to open and close doors.
On stairs, give directions and walk alongside, but never lift or carry a rider [or give physical support, where a broker bars it]. Call dispatch if a rider cannot manage the steps.
Allow service animals.
Children ride in the child seat state law requires, never in the front seat. If the right seat is missing, the trip does not start.
Before leaving a drop-off, see the rider inside the destination.

Section 5: Seat belts and wheelchair securement

Nobody rides unbelted. If a rider refuses, the vehicle does not move.
Every wheelchair is secured with the vehicle’s tiedowns, and the rider wears the vehicle’s lap and shoulder belt. A wheelchair’s own positioning belt does not count.
Offer help with the lift, ramp, and straps. You may suggest a transfer to a vehicle seat, but the rider decides.
Secure walkers, oxygen, and bags so nothing moves in a sudden stop.
A securement mistake is reported the same day, and the driver is retrained before the next wheelchair trip.

The step-by-step method is in the wheelchair securement checklist.

Section 6: Waits, no-shows, and cancellations

Wait [the broker’s wait time, or X minutes] past the pickup time.
Call dispatch before leaving any rider behind. Dispatch decides, not the driver.
Record the arrival time, the calls made, and the time you left.

Section 7: Incidents, crashes, and emergencies

In any emergency, call 911 first, then dispatch.
If a rider becomes ill on board, decide right away whether to stop and help, drive to the nearest emergency room, or call 911, and tell dispatch as soon as it is safe.
Report every crash, injury, fall, or rider complaint to dispatch before the end of the shift, and complete the incident report the same day.
Do not discuss fault at the scene. Exchange information and cooperate with police.
A vehicle in a crash stays out of service until [a mechanic] clears it.

Section 8: Drugs, alcohol, and medication

Summarize your testing policy here and attach it. At minimum: no alcohol within [4] hours before duty, no impairment on duty, no marijuana on duty in any form, and tell your supervisor about any medication that could affect driving.

Section 9: Phones and devices

Summarize your phone policy and attach it. At minimum: phone mounted before moving, no texting or app use while the vehicle is moving, and no pictures of riders.

Section 10: Timekeeping, breaks, and pay

Clock in when you start your first task of the day (vehicle check, fueling, or a required meeting) and clock out after your last.
Waiting for a rider during your shift is work time.
Driving between pickups, and from a required meeting place to the first pickup, is work time.
Short rest breaks of [10 to 15] minutes are paid. A meal break is unpaid only if you are fully relieved of duty for at least [30] minutes.
Required training and meetings are paid.
Overtime is paid at one and a half times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek [and any daily overtime your state requires].
Never work off the clock, and report any timecard error to [name] within [one pay period].

The driver timekeeping guide covers how to count waits, split shifts, and on-call time.

Section 11: Vehicle care

Inspect the vehicle before every shift and report defects before driving.
Never drive a vehicle with a failed brake, lift, tire, light, or seat belt.
Keep the vehicle clean and free of clutter, and clean spills with the spill kit.
Turn the engine off while fueling.
Never tow or push a vehicle with riders aboard.
Park and lock the vehicle where [the company] directs, and keep keys secure.

Section 12: Rider privacy

Share rider information only with people who need it for the trip.
Keep trip screens and papers out of other riders’ view, and never talk about riders’ health with anyone outside the trip.
No pictures of riders, and nothing about riders on social media.
Report a lost phone, a misdirected message, or any privacy mistake to [name] right away.
Privacy violations lead to discipline under Section 13.

Section 13: Discipline and removal

Most problems follow steps: coaching, written warning, final warning, then [suspension / termination].
Some skip the steps: impairment on duty, violence, harassment, falsified trip records, serious privacy breaches, and reckless driving.
A broker may bar a driver from its trips. When that happens, [describe what the company will do].

Section 14: Speaking up

How to report a safety problem, a billing error, or suspected fraud: [name, phone, anonymous option].
No retaliation against anyone who reports in good faith.

Section 15: Acknowledgment

I received the [Company name] driver handbook, version [date]. I read it, my questions were answered, and I agree to follow it. I understand the handbook is not a contract of employment and that [Company name] may change it with notice.

Driver name	Signature	Date	Received by

Where each section comes from

Section	Rule behind it
Driver qualifications	Federal Medicaid law has states make sure every paid NEMT driver is off the federal exclusion lists and holds a valid license, and that every provider has processes for drug law violations and for disclosing drivers’ driving history. Virginia Medicaid disqualifies a driver whose last three years show three or more chargeable accidents or moving violations.
Conduct	Georgia’s NEMT manual limits touching riders to assistance and first aid, requires visible company ID, and bans eating, drinking, and smoking around riders. MTM’s provider services agreement requires a posted no-smoking sign. CareOregon warns that riders may be sensitive to scents.
Rider assistance	Georgia requires drivers to exit to open doors and to confirm the rider is inside the destination. CareOregon lets drivers help members navigate stairs but bars physically assisting or carrying them up or down. ADA rules require service animals to be allowed. MTM’s provider services agreement requires the driver to refuse the trip without a proper child seat and bars child seats in the front seat.
Securement	ADA vehicle rules pair every securement position with a lap and shoulder belt that never replaces the tiedowns. ADA service rules let staff recommend a transfer but not require one. Louisiana’s manual says lap positioning belts and chest straps are not enough. Georgia removes a driver after one confirmed securement failure until retraining is documented.
Incidents	MTM Health’s Rhode Island handbook wants an immediate phone call for injury incidents and a written report within 24 hours. Louisiana gives providers 72 hours to report crashes to the broker, including a drug screen taken within 12 hours.
Drugs and alcohol	Louisiana bans alcohol within four hours before duty and any marijuana use behind the wheel. MTM’s provider services agreement has drivers report medication that could hinder driving.
Timekeeping	Federal wage rules count on-duty waiting, short rest breaks, required training, and travel between work sites as hours worked, and keep payroll records at least three years.
Vehicle care	Louisiana has drivers turn off the engine while fueling and bans towing or pushing a vehicle with riders aboard. CareOregon requires a mechanic’s assessment before a damaged vehicle returns to service.
Rider privacy	Virginia Medicaid requires drivers to keep member information confidential and out of other passengers’ view. HIPAA requires training for every workforce member and documented sanctions.
Discipline	CareOregon lets brokerages suspend a driver during an investigation and disqualify one outright for violence, falsified records, impairment, or PHI violations, among other grounds.

The ADA training rule ties it together: staff must be trained to proficiency for their duties, covering safe operation of vehicles and equipment and courteous, respectful help for riders with disabilities. The employer crash-prevention guidelines from OSHA, NETS, and NHTSA recommend the same structure, with written policies and a signed agreement from every employee who drives for work.

Updating the handbook

Date every version. An undated handbook cannot prove which rules a driver agreed to.
Re-sign after material changes. A new broker contract, a new state rule, or a new testing policy all count.
Match your own practice. A handbook that promises steps you skip can be used against you. In Montana, materially breaking your own written personnel policy before a firing is one of the grounds for a wrongful discharge claim.
Keep the confidentiality rule narrow. Protect rider information and business records, not conversations about pay and working conditions.
Store signatures with the driver file. Keep them at least six years where HIPAA training and sanction records are involved.

The driver scope of duties guide helps decide what drivers should and should not do for riders, and the HIPAA guide for NEMT covers the privacy program behind Section 12.

Sending handbook updates

HealthRide team chat can send an announcement to every driver at once and require each driver to confirm it, and you can see who has read it and who still needs a reminder. That gives you a record of who confirmed each handbook update between signed versions. See team chat.

NEMT driver handbook template: the sections every driver signs before the first trip