Episode 84 - DOT Drug And Alcohol Testing

One of the many things you are going to have to become knowledgeable of and set up and maintain is a compliant DOT drug and alcohol testing program. It is not a simple thing to understand or do and far too many companies and people screw it up. It is one of the areas that carries some of the highest fines and most severe penalties too. If you own or manage a trucking business you need to become educated on drug and alcohol testing requirements - and you absolutely need to know the difference between DOT and Work Place programs. There are many business consultants and service providers who do not have a clue. Not when it comes to DOT testing and all the regulations that go with it. They know business in general and they are experts or authorities on workplace testing, yet remain oblivious to the fact that trucking is one of the heaviest regulated industries in the country - and it has it own unique and SEPERATE regulations. So following the incompetent advice from a general business consultant or third party can destroy your company and put you out of business. Even if it isn't that bad - it will still cost you thousands in fines and possibly you all kinds of additional problems. Your customers may drop you as a carrier, your insurance may be increased and other unpleasant things may occur. Some companies develop a false sense of security when they have been doing such things wrong for many years - yet have never had anything bad happen - yet. That's because they simply haven't been caught. Sooner or later though the chances are good they will be and it will be painful and unpleasant when it does happen. My advice is don't do that. If you don't know the regulations or have systems in place to protect you and your company don't stick your head in the sand and pretend everything is fine. Instead get some training and learn what you need to know. then decide if you want to handle most of it in-house or if you want to outsource much of your program to a third party that specializes in trucking and knows what they are doing.