Check Your Program Now to Meet Annual Random Alcohol and Drug Testing Deadlines

During an investigation, DOT auditors do the math to make sure carriers meet the annual random alcohol and drug testing rates. With the end of the year approaching, are you on track for compliance with these programs?

Investigation statistics for 2024 show that the fifth most cited acute violation was "Failing to randomly test for drugs and alcohol." Critical violations showed several carriers were short on tests for their random drug or alcohol testing rate.

How many do you need?

The current annual testing rates are based on the average number of CDL driver positions. Completed tests must equal:

• 50 percent of CDL positions for drug testing, and
• 10 percent of CDL positions for alcohol testing.

The trick to ensuring you meet your annual numbers is to monitor your progress throughout the calendar year. Is your program on track to meet the numbers? The final selection of the year is the last chance to compensate for missed tests.

Did you fall behind?

A carrier might get behind on random testing for some common reasons:

• Canceled tests that don't count toward the annual percentage.
• Drivers who were not sent for testing due to a leave of absence, layoff, or termination occurring before notification.
• Supervisors who failed to send drivers after receiving the selection list.
• A backup driver who was not performing a safety-sensitive function during the testing cycle but was selected for an alcohol test.

All but the third bullet above are legitimate reasons why a test is not performed. Training supervisors may help you stay on track. But in all scenarios, the carrier must compensate for a missed test by the end of the year if it would leave them short.

Check your compliance while there’s still time to catch up

If you select names during the year at the minimum testing rate, you won't have a cushion to work with. It's imperative that holidays, vacations, and the like don't interfere with sending drivers by the end of the year.

On the other hand, make sure that you don't end testing too early to accommodate a busy holiday season. Drivers who know that everyone was sent in early December may engage in prohibited behaviors thinking they may not get caught. It’s a delicate balance of not too early and not too late.

FleetMentor can help

Monitor your completed random drug and alcohol tests so you don't come up short during a DOT audit. Use the FleetMentor Random Test Selector tool to help administer your program. The tool provides a reliable way to ensure each selection is random and fair and helps ensure that your random testing program fulfills DOT testing requirements each calendar year.