Department of Transportation Drug Testing

What Is a DOT Drug Test?

The DOT drug test is a test regulated by the government, more specifically, the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Congress recognized the need for a drug and alcohol-free transportation industry and passed the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act in 1991. The act required this industry to implement drug and alcohol testing.

DOT agencies create industry-specific regulations to decide who needs testing and in what situations. Employers within the industry will implement and apply the regulations to their business.

Who Is Required to Take a DOT Drug Test?

Those designated in DOT regulations as safety-sensitive employees are subject to a department of transportation drug test. This is someone who holds a job that can impact public safety and their own safety while on the road.

Some of the safety-sensitive positions include:

• Federal Aviation Administration
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
• U.S. Coast Guard
• Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
• Federal Railroad Administration
• Federal Transit Administration

In certain situations, this panel drug test is required before an employee can resume their responsibilities.

Reasonable Suspicion/Cause

If one or more supervisor believes or suspects that an employee is under the influence of drugs, they can test that employee. This is usually based on behavior, concerning appearance, smell, speech, or other observations.

Random Testing

Random testing has to be done quarterly and must include a truly random selection process. This process gives every employee an equal chance to get selected and tested.

Return to Work Testing

This type of testing is necessary after an employee violates drug or alcohol rules. Employees aren’t allowed to return to any DOT job before getting tested.

This employee might also be subject to random testing at least six times within the first year of coming back to work. The tests are still urine tests but must get conducted under direct observation.

Follow-Up Testing

Follow-up testing takes place after return to duty testing. A Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) will manage follow-up testing for up to five years. They will also determine how many times an employee is tested.

Post-Accident Testing

Post-accident testing is required if an employee is involved in an accident under DOT criteria. The drug test needs to be administered within 32 hours.

What Kind of Drug Test Does the DOT Use?

A DOT drug screen uses a 5 panel urine drug test to test for five substances at one time. Using a DOT urine test from 12 Panel Now is simple. The drug test cup comes as a kit with everything you need to test a donor.

Here are the easy steps to administering the DOT drug test:

1. Remove the drug test cup from the pouch
2. Write the donors information on the cup
3. Collect a urine sample in the cup
4. Close the secure lid
5. Remove the label from the test cup
6. Read results after 5 minutes

When you search, “DOT drug test near me,” you’ll likely find 12panelnow.com as a leading provider. This is because the 5 panel now drug test cup screens for the same drugs as a standard 5 panel urine cup drug test.

As the most popular tool used by private employers for workplace drug testing, you’ll reap more benefits than one. These tests are quick, easy, and accurate to detect substances in the urine.

The tests are 99.9% accurate even if the test subject is under the influence of other drugs or is ill.

Interpreting Test Results

Now that you know the answer to, “where can I get a DOT drug test?”, you might be wondering how to interpret the test results before you make a purchase.

The urine tests you purchase from 12panelnow are easy to administer and even easier to interpret. The rapid drug test provides you with accurate results within minutes.

Each substance tested on these drug test cups will have two regions, the control region (C) and the test region (T).

Only one colored band will appear in the control region (C) if the drug is detected in the system. This indicates that the test is positive.

Two colored bands will appear on the membrane when the test is negative. This means one band will appear in the control region (C) and another band will appear in the test region (T).

A negative test result indicates that the drug concentration is below the detectable level.

These are not the only two test results that might appear. Although it is rare, if the control region (C) band fails to appear, the test is invalid and needs to be readministered. Buying drug tests in bulk is beneficial for this reason.

The test is invalid whether a band appears in the test region (T) or not. The test will need to be discarded and you’ll review the procedure and repeat it with a new test. Discontinue using the kit if the problem persists.