DOT drug and alcohol testing, set up right
Every carrier with CDL drivers needs a drug and alcohol program before the first load. It's one of the first things checked in your new entrant safety audit.
Free consortium referral · test fees paid to the providerWhat’s included
- Referral to a DOT consortium / third-party administrator (C/TPA) for your random testing pool
- Scheduling your drivers' pre-employment drug tests at a collection site near them
- FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse setup: employer account, C/TPA designation and query plan
- Pre-employment full queries and yearly limited queries on your calendar
- Written drug and alcohol policy and the education materials drivers must receive
- Where supervisors get the required reasonable-suspicion training
- A drug and alcohol file for your safety audit, with the right retention periods
How it works
We confirm which of your drivers need a CDL and are covered by DOT testing.
You join a consortium and we set up your Clearinghouse account and C/TPA designation with you.
Each new driver gets a pre-employment test and a Clearinghouse full query before driving.
Random selections, yearly queries and records on a calendar you can follow.
What we’ll need from you
- USDOT number and company legal name
- Each driver's name, CDL number and state
- An email and phone for the designated employer representative
The tests your program has to cover
| Test | When it happens |
|---|---|
| Pre-employment | Before a driver's first safety-sensitive work. A negative drug result is required first. |
| Random | Unannounced, all year. For 2026 the minimum yearly rates are 50% of drivers for drugs and 10% for alcohol. |
| Post-accident | After crashes that meet FMCSA's criteria, such as any crash with a fatality. |
| Reasonable suspicion | When a trained supervisor sees specific signs of use. |
| Return-to-duty and follow-up | After a violation, once the driver completes the substance abuse professional (SAP) process. |
- 49 CFR Part 382: Controlled substances and alcohol use and testing
- 49 CFR Part 40: DOT testing procedures
- FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse
- FMCSA: Overview of drug and alcohol rules
Rules change. Check the official source before you act.
Price
Referral to a consortium partner is free. Full setup, including your policy, files and Clearinghouse, is part of our $150 compliance and permits setup. Consortium membership and each test are paid directly to the provider.
Questions carriers ask
Do box truck drivers need DOT drug testing?
Only if the driver needs a CDL. Most 26-foot box trucks are under 26,001 lbs GVWR and don't need one, so DOT testing usually doesn't apply. Some shippers still ask for it.
I'm an owner-operator. Do I really need a consortium?
Yes. A single-driver company can't run its own random program, so the rules require you to join a consortium or C/TPA and designate it in the Clearinghouse.
How often will I be tested?
Random selections are made from the whole consortium pool. For 2026 the minimum yearly rate is 50% for drugs and 10% for alcohol, so some drivers are picked more than once and some not at all.
What happens after a positive test?
The driver must stop all safety-sensitive work right away and complete the return-to-duty process with a substance abuse professional. The violation is reported to the Clearinghouse, and the state can downgrade the CDL until the process is done.