How Northwind Logistics cut DOT screening time by 71%
By moving MVR pulls and drug screening into a single Ethur workflow, Northwind onboards drivers in under 48 hours.
Northwind Logistics runs a 4,200-driver fleet across the lower 48. Before Ethur, onboarding a new driver took an average of 6.8 days from offer to first dispatch. Today, it takes 1.9.
The problem
Northwind was juggling four vendors: one for MVRs, one for drug screening, one for PSP, and one for I-9. Each had its own portal, its own status emails, and its own SLA. Recruiters spent more time chasing vendors than talking to drivers.
The change
Northwind consolidated all four workflows into Ethur's DOT package. MVRs pull instantly in 47 states. Drug screening clinics are auto-scheduled based on the driver's home address. PSP pulls run in parallel. I-9 is handled in the candidate portal.
The results
- Median time-to-dispatch: 6.8 days → 1.9 days (-71%).
- Recruiter hours per hire: 4.1 → 0.7.
- Driver drop-off during onboarding: 14% → 4%.
- Compliance audit prep time: 3 weeks → 2 days.
We didn't change our hiring standards. We just stopped losing drivers to slow paperwork. — VP Talent, Northwind