FAQ for Department of Transportation Mandatory Testing

Q: I belong to an agency that offers drug testing.  Am I covered for the DOT?

You must be actively keeping your participant list current, and be receiving statistics that include your company, and testing at the proper times and percentages in order to satisfy the regulations.

Q: I do pre-employment physicals at my local convenient care. They do a urine test. Does that cover me for the DOT? 

Your tests for DOT must be done on the Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form of which you should be receiving the employer copy.  Having a physical is actually not one of the mandated testing times.  If it is a pre-employment and the participant enters your drug testing program (the “list” referred to in the answer to the question above) within 30 days, that would be correct timing for a DOT test.

Q: I’m just a small (or single person) company.  I don’t have to do a drug testing program, do I?

Unless you have a specific exemption, and they are few and far between, you MUST be in a drug testing program.  We would be glad to check on a certain exemption type for you if you give us a call.

Q: I don’t pay any attention to the regulations.  Isn’t that why I pay a third party?

The employer is ultimately responsible for their drug testing program.  Ensure that you
have all of the necessary components today!

FAQ for Non–DOT Mandated Testing

Q: Do you recommend hair testing?

At this time we only offer urine drug and saliva/breath alcohol tests.  Hair testing doesn’t have the body of knowledge/experience behind it as does the urine testing making it less defensible if a problem arises.

Q: Couldn’t we do our own selections for drug testing and conduct the tests ourselves?

It’s better if the selections are done with a statistically valid random process.  Believe me, even then the same person can get picked a few times in a row! Having an outside administrator transfers the “blame” from your company and having us test removes any suspicion of “tampering” with selections or results.

Q: We can’t afford drug testing as is required when under DOT authority.

Your random percentages can be your own.  DOT specifies 50 percent of that workforce in a year, you could do 10 percent.  If you don’t do pre-employment testing, test a higher percentage annually.  If you have high turnover, be sure to test a few individuals every month.  There are all kinds of strategies that will meet your needs for a safer workforce, call us today!