DOT Drug & Alcohol Testing Requirements and the Clearinghouse

A missing or incomplete drug and alcohol testing program is an automatic-failure item in a new entrant audit. Here is what a compliant program looks like.

The six situations that require testing

• Pre-employment — before a driver first performs safety-sensitive functions
• Random — unannounced, spread through the year at the required annual rates
• Post-accident — after qualifying crashes
• Reasonable suspicion — based on trained supervisor observation
• Return-to-duty — after a violation, under a Substance Abuse Professional's direction
• Follow-up — the monitoring tests that follow return-to-duty

What is tested

DOT testing uses a standardized urine panel screening for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, and PCP, with alcohol testing by breath or saliva. Testing must run through certified labs and a Medical Review Officer.

Random testing rates

FMCSA sets minimum annual random testing rates for drugs and alcohol, and they can change year to year. You must test enough drivers to meet the rate across the calendar year — not all at once.

The Clearinghouse

Employers must be registered in the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse and run a pre-employment full query plus an annual limited query for each driver. Violations recorded there follow a driver between employers. This ties directly into your DQ file.