Drug and Alcohol Testing in the DOT

The purpose of this publication is to assist DOT covered employers and service agents with the implementation and evaluation of their own random testing programs. While DOT drug testing program regulations serve as a minimum standard and do not prevent any additional practices that boost the effectiveness of a testing program, employers subject to DOT regulations may also be required to comply with industry specific regulations.

The following are best practices identified by representatives from the Office of the Secretary’s Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), and United States Coast Guard (USCG). We hope that reading the regulations is as important as reading the rules.

We are committed to having an alcohol- and drug-free workplace. Employees who use, possess or are under the influence of alcohol in the workplace violate the company’s Employee Conduct policy. For employees in certain jobs covered by the United States Department of Transportation’s (DOT) procedures about workplace drug testing, the Drug and Alcohol Testing Program specifies specific rules and requirements. The drug and alcohol testing program policy and handbook for employees must be provided to all employees in DOT-covered positions, and an acknowledgement of receiving them must be signed and returned.

Included in the coverage are:

• A commercial driver’s license is required for any person who operates a commercial motor vehicle in interstate or intrastate commerce and is subject to DOT Part 382 requirements
• Any person who works on a gas pipeline (transmission and distribution facilities), or who performs operating, maintenance, or emergency response functions as required by DOT under Part 192, 193, or 195. There are sections of the DOT regulations that relate to employees performing functions directly related to pipeline safety
• When an employee/candidate is entering a covered position and requires a pre-duty or pre-employment drug test, you can request a test by completing the DOT-RC drug test request form.

The DOT drug and alcohol misuse prevention plan can be found here:

• You have a responsibility to act immediately if you suspect an employee may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Inform the company’s security department of any suspicion or evidence that an employee has been involved in furnishing, selling, or offering illegal drugs while on the job or on company premises for referral to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
• The reasonable suspicion checklist can be found under Available Documents and Forms on the DOT and Regulatory Compliance intranet page (you need network access to view this page).
• You can use your supervisor’s random drug and alcohol checklist to understand what will happen if one of your employees is required to undergo a random drug test.