How is individual added to the DOT Compliance Group consortium?
Drivers are added into the consortium by one of 2 ways.
#1) Click on “Add/Delete Drivers” and confirm driver (employee or owner-operator) has been in a DOT compliant random drug/alcohol consortium within the last 30 days and has a negative drug test on file.
OR
#2) for new employees simply take the drug testing form to the nearest testing site and the results will be automatically added upon receipt of a negative drug test. Note that pre-employment alcohol testing is not required by DOT.
How do I locate a testing site for a drug or alcohol test?
Drug Test—Go to “Test Locator” within your back office. If it’s a drug test select testing reason as “Drug Screen”, “Urine”, enter your zip code and preferred locations will be displayed by Quest Laboratories. You or your employee will then proceed to the testing location with your chain of chain of custody being sure that the correct reason for testing is marked. All “Preferred” testing locations will not have collection fee due at site and we will bill you the following month.
Alcohol Test—Go to “Test Locator” within your back office. If it’s a drug test select testing reason as “Drug Screen”, “Breath-Alcohol”, enter your zip code and preferred locations will be displayed by Quest Laboratories. You or your employee will then proceed to the testing location with your alcohol form (see “Documents”) being sure that the correct reason for testing is marked. All “Preferred” testing locations will not have collection fee due at site and we will bill you the following month.
What happens when I or one of my employees is selected for random testing?
All random testing requirement notifications are communicated by email that is pass-code protected and has the time/date recorded upon receipt of opening. For owner-operators, random selection of drug tests are to be completed within 24 hours and alcohol tests within 3 hours.
What happens if I or one of my employees has a positive drug or alcohol test?
With any positive drug or alcohol test the driver must be immediately removed from their safety sensitive position. Note, a positive alcohol test is determined at .04+ BAC level, yet any driver with an alcohol level less than .04 is to be immediately removed from their safety sensitive function for at least 24 hours before they can perform DOT safety sensitive work functions.
If a positive drug test is determined by MRO or a positive alcohol test by .04+ BAC level, then per DOT requirement the employee must be referred to a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP). This does not mean that employment has to be maintained, employment is contingent based upon your drug/alcohol policy. Before an employee can return to DOT safety sensitive functions, the employee must complete activities outlined by a substance abuse professional and have a negative drug test on file as a result from “Return-To-Duty” testing. In addition, the employee is subject to additional random drug/alcohol testing as determined by the SAP which is referred to as “Follow-Up” testing (DOT regulation is at least 6 follow-up testing required within the first 12 months after an employee’s return-to-duty). Follow-up testing may continue for up to 5 years as determined by the SAP. The employer is not required to pay for return-to-duty or follow-up testing as this is customarily paid for by the employee.
Why am I or an employee seemingly being tested all the time?
DOT requires a compliant program to be truly random and the DOT testing basis is 50% of the testing pool is to be drug tested and 10% alcohol tested. Let’s take an example average random testing pool of 1000 individuals with monthly testing periods. Approximately 42 individuals each month will be drug tested and 8 will be tested for alcohol. Now, for the program to be truly random each month all individuals must have the same chance of being selected for drug or alcohol (even both) testing. Some individuals will be tested more than once during the year and others none at all. This is a true random selection process which is statistically supported and no one will ever be selected outside of the random process.
What DOT drugs are tested for and their detection levels?
The DOT test panel includes testing for the following drugs with the initial detection level and corresponding confirmation detection levels:
Marijuana 31 50 ng/ml 15 ng/ml
Cocaine 4 300 ng/ml 150 ng/ml
Opiates 3 2000 ng/ml 2000 ng/ml
Phencyclidine 1 25 ng/ml 25ng/ml
Amphetamines 5 1000 ng/ml 500 ng/ml
What are the six testing situations required by DOT?
1) Pre-Employment—no previous negative drug test on file
2) Random Test Selection—employee was randomly selected during testing period
3) Post-Accident—required for fatality, moving violation citation with disabled vehicle or moving violation citation and medical treatment for anyone away from accident
4) Reasonable Suspicion—as determined for testing by supervisor
5) Return-To-Duty—required testing from previous positive test
6) Follow-Up—required additional random testing after employee returns to duty
How long until test results are made available?
Alcohol test results are immediate as results printed out from an EBT device or saliva swabs. All DOT drug tests have to be sent for laboratory and MRO (Medical Review Officer) evaluation. Negative tests are resulted, updated in the system and communicated usually within 2-3 business days by email. If a sample is “presumptive positive”, this means that for example someone has levels of codeine in their system from recently taking a prescription after getting their wisdom teeth out. The MRO will then contact the donor in order to speak directly with their doctor to confirm the prescription was provided by their doctor and the detection levels are within range of the prescription.
How am I notified for testing and how long do I have to complete testing?
All random testing requirement notifications are communicated by an email that is pass-code protected and has the time/date recorded upon receipt of opening. For owner-operators, random selection of drug tests are to be completed within 24 hours and alcohol tests within 3 hours.
What happens if an employee does not complete testing by required time frame?
Owner-operators will have 48 hours to complete a drug test and 3 hours for an alcohol test (circumstances considered). Pass-code protected and date/time stamped emails show receipt confirmed.
DER’s with employees have until the end of testing period (month or quarter) to have their employees complete the selected testing process (drug or alcohol). For random selection process DER is to have the employee immediately report to a testing location within 2 hours of notification and handing over drug and/or alcohol testing form(s).
If the individual does not complete the testing within the required time frame, then a written warning will be issued by DOT Compliance Consortium to the individual (owner-operator) or company. Any subsequent occurrences of non-compliance in testing time frame requested will have progressive written warning notices or immediate termination from DOT Compliance Consortium.
When is DOT post-accident drug & alcohol testing required?
Post-accident testing is required when:
1) Fatality involved, or
2) Moving violation citation with any disabled vehicle, or
3) Moving violation citation and medical treatment for anyone away from accident
If for example you have a driver that backs into another vehicle in your shipping yard, then post-accident testing is NOT required. However, if you have a supplemental non-DOT drug/alcohol testing program (strongly recommended) then you can drug/alcohol test the employee.
When is reasonable suspicion testing required?
The employer’s determination that reasonable suspicion exists to require the driver to undergo a drug or alcohol test must be based on specific, contemporaneous, articulable observations concerning the appearance, behavior, speech or body odors of the driver before, during or immediately after scheduled work shift. Please note that a supervisor is also required by DOT to be trained on the indicators of reasonable suspicion before requesting a reasonable suspicion test. DOT Compliance Group offers this one-time training for $199. NEVER allow an employee to operate a vehicle to/from the testing site for a reasonable suspicion testing, the employer is to provide transportation.
How do I get more drug testing forms?
Click on “Support” link and sub-link “Request Drug Test Forms”
On-Site Testing: Post-Accident & After-Hours
Here is a referral for two national after-hours/post-accident test locator companies. Please note that on-site testing is at your expense. US Drug Testing Services——Bob Larrabee, Melanie Spiegelberg – P – 919-556-2220, f – 919-556-0997 bob@usdrugtestingservices.com / melanie@usdrugtestingservices.com——–EMSI or Examination Management Services, Inc. 1-800-421-EMSI (3674).
What is a Medical Review Officer (MRO) and what part do they play in the testing process?
DOT requires all drug test specimens to be evaluated at an approved laboratory which DOT Compliance Group uses Quest Laboratories. Both negative and “presumptive positive” test results are sent to the Medical Review Officer (MRO). If a sample is “presumptive positive”, this means that for example someone has levels of codeine in their system from recently taking a prescription after getting their wisdom teeth out. The MRO will then contact the donor in order to speak directly with their doctor to confirm the prescription was provided by the doctor and that detection levels are within range of the prescription.
What if I don’t have a DOT compliant drug/alcohol policy?
Please see in our forms/documents section to down the policy provided for your use to be compliant.
