Penalties for Non Compliance with DOT Regulations

In today's compliance-driven landscape, employers operating within the transportation industry must be keenly aware of their obligations under 49 CFR Parts 40 and 382. These regulations, established by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), outline strict requirements for drug and alcohol testing of safety-sensitive employees. Failure to adhere to [...]

By |April 13th, 2023|Blog, DOT Compliance, DOT Drug Testing|Comments Off on Penalties for Non Compliance with DOT Regulations

When Can a Driver Be Tested for Alcohol

While consuming alcohol is legal in all US states for adults over the age of 21, it's illegal for CDL drivers to be have a breath alcohol concentration of .02 or over, while performing safety-sensitive tasks. Alcohol is known to cause an impaired sense of judgment and increased risky behavior on the road, which is [...]

By |November 4th, 2022|Alcohol, Blog, DOT Compliance|Comments Off on When Can a Driver Be Tested for Alcohol

Compliance Checklist for Owner-Operators

For owner-operators, it’s critical for your business to stay in compliance with government regulations. Here’s an Owner Operator DOT compliance checklist to help you stay on top of the most common compliance requirements. 1) Drug and Alcohol Testing Owner-operators are required to participate in a Department of Transportation (DOT) Drug and Alcohol testing program. A [...]

By |July 20th, 2022|DOT Compliance, DOT Drug Testing, FMCSA Clearinghouse|Comments Off on Compliance Checklist for Owner-Operators

What Happens If My Employees Don’t Complete The Random Drug Testing Before the End of the Quarter?

The answer depends on whether the random selection program is a DOT regulated program or a non-DOT program. DOT has specific requirements. DOT Random Drug Testing In a DOT regulated random testing program, all random tests are supposed to be conducted in the period when the selections were made. An employee selected, for example, in [...]

By |July 18th, 2022|DOT Compliance|Comments Off on What Happens If My Employees Don’t Complete The Random Drug Testing Before the End of the Quarter?

Converting From an Owner Operator to Employer

As an Owner Operator, when you take on employees, your DOT FMCSA requirements change. 1) Written Drug & Alcohol Testing Policy Owner Operators do not really need to have a written substance abuse policy. Employers do. FMCSA regulation Part 382 specifically requires that employers have a written policy that is distributed to each driver. 362.601 [...]

By |July 14th, 2022|DOT Compliance, DOT Drug Testing|Comments Off on Converting From an Owner Operator to Employer

Post Accident Drug Testing

What if a driver is involved in an accident? The rules for Post-Accident Testing state that if a vehicle is towed from the scene of an accident and the driver receives a traffic citation, that the employer must conduct a DOT Post-Accident Drug and Alcohol Test. Rule of Thumb: No ticket, no test. The Post-Accident [...]

By |July 13th, 2022|DOT Compliance|Comments Off on Post Accident Drug Testing

DOT Audit Checklist: Preparing for a DOT Program Review

DOT auditors are responsible for making sure employer are in compliance with the federal regulations for DOT drug and alcohol testing. We've compiled a DOT audit checklist that represent most of the records a DOT Agency and USCG auditor, inspector, or investigator will usually request and review during a program review. Keep in [...]

Top 3 FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Testing Violations (Part 382)

What happens in a DOT Audit? When it comes to FMCSA Drug Violations, here is what comes from the FMCSA: 1: Allowing a driver to operate with a suspended/revoked CDL Employers who were fined for allowing a driver to operate with a suspended/revoked CDL paid an average fine amount of $8,991. This is what [...]

Benefits of Using a Digitized Driver Qualification File Management Platform

The regulatory landscape in the transportation sector is changing rapidly. Amid the stringent regulatory requirements, even a small reporting or compliance mistake can land you in legal trouble and result in costly penalties. On top of that, a drop in your CSA score is sure to affect your business’s profitability. This is where a digitized [...]

FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse Regulation

The FMCSA requires employers of commercial truck and bus drivers to register for the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. The deadline for registration was January 5, 2021. Non-compliance could lead to criminal and civil lawsuits of up to $5833 for every offense. The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse regulation went into effect on January 6, [...]

By |June 30th, 2021|DOT Compliance, FMCSA Clearinghouse|Comments Off on FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse Regulation