DOT Drug Test

• 1) DOT drug test are always done using urine specimens. Hair tests are not permitted.
• 2) While there are many drugs that can be tested in the urine, there is only one permissible DOT drug testing panel, which tests for a set panel of substances, including marijuana, cocaine, PCP, opiates like heroine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone, MDMA, and amphetamines.
• 3) DOT drug tests must be performed using a federal custody and control form (CCF). Electronic DOT custody and control forms (e-CCF) are permitted at approved locations only.
• 4) Technicians which collect the urine for a DOT drug screening must have training that complies with strict DOT guidelines, and successfully complete a series of “mock collections”. These technicians are widely referred to as “DOT certified”, but in fact, there is no official certification process administered by the Department of Transportation.
• 5) DOT drug screens are always sent to a SAMHSA Certified laboratory for analysis. There is no such thing as an instant DOT drug screening. It must go to the lab.
• 6) A person taking a DOT urine drug test is known as a “donor”. A donor must provide at least 45 milliliters of urine. The urine is split into 2 bottles, known as “Bottle A” and “Bottle B”. The first bottle is analyzed by the lab, while the second bottle is held there. If requested by a donor upon receiving a positive result, the second bottle can be transferred to a second SAMHSA certified laboratory for a separate analysis.
• 7) Laboratories do not know the names or any personally identifiable information about the donors who provide DOT urine specimens. Tests are performed anonymously.
• 8) A medical review officer (MRO) must review all lab reports before releasing the results of a DOT drug test. Nobody has permission to see the results of a DOT test that has not been reviewed by the MRO.

• DOT Breath Alcohol Test ($95)
• DOT Random Pool Membership ($99)
• DOT Supervisor Training – 2 Hour Online Class ($99)

See All Drug Tests

Safety-sensitive employees in transportation industries including trucking, shipping, pipelines, aviation, rail, transit, coast guard and merchant marines must comply with DOT drug and alcohol testing requirements. Each year, the six DOT agencies set minimum random drug and alcohol testing rates for the year. These rates apply to both private pools as well as small business consortium. Health Street ensues that the number of selections in our DOT Random Pool (private or consortium) strictly complies with the minimum testing requirements of each applicable modality (agency).

2018 DOT Random testing rates for each federal agency

• FMCSA – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration – 25% drug and 10% alcohol
• FAA – Federal Aviation Administration – 25% drug and 10% alcohol
• FRA – Covered Service – 25% drug and 10% alcohol
• FRA – MOW* (Maintenance of Way) – 50% drug & 25% alcohol
• FTA – Federal Transit Administration – 25% drug and 10% alcohol
• PHMSA – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials – 50% drug – no alcohol
• USCG – United States Coast Guard – 25% drug – no alcohol

DOT Drug and alcohol tests are administered under the federal authority of the agency overseeing the industry in which a company operates. DOT and its agencies define the reasons which prompt the need for tests. The opposite is also true. DOT drug tests cannot be administered unless it falls into one of the pre-defined categories. The following are reasons when DOT drug tests must be given:

• Pre-employment
• Random
• Post Accident
• Reasonable Suspicion
• Return to duty
• Follow up

The United States Department of Transportation specifies the DOT drug testing requirements for safety-sensitive employees in all transportation industries. Individuals and companies are required to get tested at defined moments, including pre-hire, post-accident, and upon reasonable suspicion. Furthermore, DOT drug and alcohol tests must be done on a specifically defined random basis using a computer generated random methodology that selects a set percentage of active staff on a monthly or quarterly basis. Companies can most easily meet the random drug testing requirement by participating in a third-party administered random drug testing pool or a DOT drug testing consortium. Other services offered by such third include the annual supervisor training that is required to stay in compliance. DOT conducts random and scheduled audits to ensure that companies adhere to these guidelines.

Health Street’s DOT drug and alcohol testing services help companies stay in compliance with the DOT regulations and avoid costly shut-downs. A DOT Drug Test is required according to very specific rules of the US Department of Transportation, as covered in CFR 49 Part 40. During a periodic DOT audit, federal agents come on site to investigate trucking, aviation, and shipping companies to ensure compliance with standards. While there are a multitude of requirements that an auditor might investigate, there are a few hot button issues that are typically requested on nearly every audit.

Pre-employment drug tests

Auditors will check that every single covered employee successfully completed a pre-employment DOT Drug Test before beginning any safety-sensitive work.

Random drug testing pool

DOT auditors will make sure that employees are enrolled in a random pool that is administered by a statistically valid methodology that meets minimum annual random testing rates.

MIS Reports

Companies are typically required to present DOT auditors with current and prior year MIS reports. These complicated reports are normally prepared by the third party that manages their random pool. MIS Reports include detailed statistical data regarding the number of DOT drug and alcohol tests performed during a specified period, broken down by reason for test, and stratified by over ten categories of results. There are over 200 discreet data points that are required on the MIS report. Health Street prepares this report for all companies enrolled in our Random Pool.

Supervisor Training

DOT requires that supervisors in companies under their purview be trained in the signs and symptoms of drug and alcohol use and abuse. DOT Supervisor Training teaches the necessary skills to help identify potential substance abuse problems before they become safety problems. Auditors often look for documentation of official training on an annual basis. Health Street offers this 2 hour training program online.

Health Street assists companies in their effort to maintain compliance with each of the above items, including on-call assistance during and leading up to an audit.

Like all of our lab based tests, DOT Drug Tests are processed at a SAMHSA Certified laboratory. Results are reviewed by one of our Medical Review Officers (MRO). Our MROs are licensed physicians and toxicology experts. If the result of a urine drug test is non-negative, the MRO will reach out to the person to ask about prescription medications and, if appropriate, to request proof. Once that conversation with the doctor takes place, and the person has a chance to provide proof of any prescriptions, the MRO will release the final results, which will be reported to the Employer or person who requested the test.

The result of a DOT Drug Test is reported in a secure PDF files which detail the list of the tested drugs. For each class of drugs, there is an indication of Positive or Negative. If a drug comes back positive, the specific metabolite which tested positive will be specifically indicated. Quantitative levels for positive results are available upon request. The PDF file can be easily downloaded from our portal, printed, or forwarded. We are also happy to send or fax drug test results to any person, employer, or organization that needs to get a copy of the report.

How long do results take?

Negative urine drug tests typically come back the next business day, but in some cases can take longer. If the screening is not negative, further testing is required. Our lab will run a GC/MS confirmation test on all non-negatives, which provides an official, quantitative measurement of the level of drugs in the system. Confirmation testing takes approximately 3-5 days.

Staff Glass™… the Employer eResults Portal

Business users get free access to our secure Employer eResults Portal, StaffGlass, to place orders, view test results, manage employees and eSignature documents (such as policies and procedures), update random drug testing pools, and register for background checks. Non-business clients get results via email and/or fax.