08/08/2025
New Trucking Company DOT Drug Testing Checklist
August 7, 2025
1. Enroll in a DOT-Compliant Consortium/TPA
If you’re an owner-operator or small fleet, you’re required to be part of a random testing pool. Joining a DOT Consortium or TPA (Third-Party Administrator) ensures your drivers are enrolled in a random selection process and that all record keeping is handled correctly.
🔹 Tip: Ion Drug and Alcohol Testing offers nationwide DOT Consortium programs with fast setup and 24/7 compliance support.
2. Conduct a Pre-Employment Drug Test
Before a CDL driver performs any safety-sensitive functions (like driving), they must take and pass a DOT 5-panel urine drug test.
❌ No exceptions — even if they’ve been recently tested elsewhere
✔ Keep the test results in the driver’s qualification file
3. Develop a DOT-Compliant Drug & Alcohol Policy
You are required to provide your drivers with a written policy that includes:
Types of testing (pre-employment, random, post-accident, etc.)
Consequences of refusing a test or failing
Driver education requirements
✔ Include an acknowledgment form for drivers to sign.
4. Register for the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse
The FMCSA Clearinghouse is a federal database that tracks driver drug and alcohol violations.
You must:
Register your company at https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov
Query the Clearinghouse before hiring a driver
Run annual queries on all current drivers
Report any violations or refusals
🔍 Owner-operators must designate a TPA in the Clearinghouse to manage these tasks.
5. Implement a Random Testing Program
FMCSA requires:
50% of CDL drivers tested annually for drugs
10% tested annually for alcohol
Selections must be truly random and spread throughout the year
Your Consortium/TPA will handle selections, notifications, and recordkeeping.
6. Train Supervisors on Reasonable Suspicion Testing
If you have supervisors overseeing CDL drivers, DOT requires 2 hours of training to help them recognize signs of drug or alcohol use.
60 mins: Signs of drug use
60 mins: Signs of alcohol misuse
📌 Keep training certificates on file.
7. Know When to Conduct Other Required Tests
You must also be prepared to conduct drug or alcohol tests in the following situations:
Post-Accident (based on FMCSA criteria)
Reasonable Suspicion
Return-to-Duty
Follow-Up Testing (after a violation and SAP process)
8. Maintain Required Records
DOT requires you to keep drug and alcohol testing records for 1–5 years depending on the record type. These include:
Test results
Chain of custody forms
MIS annual summaries (if required)
Policy acknowledgment forms
Driver Clearinghouse queries
📁 Keep everything organized in case of an audit.
Need Help Starting Your DOT Drug Testing Program?
Starting a trucking company is hard enough — let us handle the compliance side.
At Ion Drug and Alcohol Testing, we offer:
Fast DOT Consortium enrollment
Pre-employment and random testing
Clearinghouse registration and reporting
Compliance support and audit assistance
An online database that gives employers and government agencies real-time access to information about CDL driver drug and alcohol program violations.
