The Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) released a final ruling on updated procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs to include the addition of Oral Fluid Specimen Testing for Drugs. The rule amends the U.S. Department of Transportation's regulated industry drug testing program to include oral fluid testing. This additional methodology for drug testing will give employers a choice that will help combat employee cheating on urine drug tests and provide a less intrusive means of achieving the safety goals of the program. Effective June 1, 2023. Click the link to read the complete DOT rule

Designated employer representative (DER) . An employee authorized by the employer to take immediate action(s) to remove employees from safety-sensitive duties, or cause employees to be removed from these covered duties, and to make required decisions in the testing and evaluation processes. The DER also receives test results and other communications for the employer, consistent with the requirements of this part. Service agents cannot act as DERs. Chain of custody. The procedure used to document the handling of the urine specimen from the time the employee gives the specimen to the collector until the specimen is destroyed. This procedure uses the Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form (CCF) as approved by the Office of Management and Budget. Collection site . A place selected by the employer where employees present themselves for the purpose of providing a urine specimen for a drug test. Collector. A person who instructs and assists employees at a collection site, who receives and makes an initial inspection of the specimen provided by those employees, and who initiates and completes the CCF. Consortium/Third-party administrator (C/TPA). A service agent that provides or coordinates the provision of a variety of drug and alcohol testing services to employers. C/TPAs typically perform administrative tasks concerning the operation of the employers' drug and alcohol testing programs. This term includes, but is not limited to, groups of employers who join together to administer, as a single entity, the DOT drug and alcohol testing programs of its members. C/TPAs are not “employers” for purposes of this part. HHS. The Department of Health and Human Services or any designee of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services. Laboratory. Any U.S. laboratory certified by HHS under the National Laboratory Certification Program as meeting the minimum standards of Subpart C of the HHS Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs; or, in the case of foreign laboratories, a laboratory approved for participation by DOT under this part. Medical Review Officer (MRO). A person who is a licensed physician and who is responsible for receiving and reviewing laboratory results generated by an employer's drug testing program and evaluating medical explanations for certain drug test results.

Reasonable Suspicion Test - if a trained supervisor or trained company official believes or suspects an employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol this type of test is required. Supervisors must be trained in accordance with 49 CFR 382.603. A reasonable suspicion test can be conducted only when a trained supervisor observes specific signs of alcohol and/or drug use. CDL Driver’s supervisors are required by FMCSA 49 CFR 382.603 to take at least 60 minutes of training on the symptoms of alcohol abuse and another 60 minutes of training on the symptoms of controlled substance use. The suspicion must be based on specific observations by the supervisor concerning the employee’s current appearance, behavior, speech, and smell that are usually associated with drug or alcohol use, and must be documented. 49 CFR 382.307