DOT Owner Operator Programs

By: Ashlee Arnold

If you're an owner operator and need to stay in compliance with the Department of Transportation (DOT), then a unique set of rules and regulations applies to you if you want to follow the law and hit the road.

Any individual who operates a commercial motor vehicle that requires a commercial driver's license must participate in a DOT drug and alcohol testing program. However, they're not allowed to manage this program themselves, even though they don't have any other employees.

Instead, they must work with a consortium or third-party administrator, which will assist them in all matters of drug and alcohol screening.

Owner operators are required to take and pass a pre-employment drug test before they can operate their vehicles. A post-accident test might also be required, depending on the circumstances of the accident.

Another possibility is that the owner operator will be added to a random drug testing pool by their third-party administrator.

In any case, if an owner operator ever fails a drug test but still wants to return to work, they'll need to submit to return-to-duty testing and possibly other screenings.

Watch our video below to learn more about DOT owner operator programs and how they work.

Keeping owner operators sober and alert is crucial not only to their own safety but to the safety of others on the road, as well. For instance, we already know that truck drivers experience much physical and mental wear and tear. Some of them turn to drugs to keep themselves driving for long hours since they get paid based on the distance they drive.

However, driving high or drunk can have serious — even deadly — repercussions. Drugs and alcohol can negatively affect your vision, reflexes and reaction times, and concentration, just to name a few of the side effects. Driving any sort of vehicle after consuming drugs or alcohol is never a good idea.

If you’re an owner operator operating a commercial motor vehicle, contact US Drug Test Centers today and ensure that you're staying compliant with the Department of Transportation.