Drug & Alcohol Consortium & TPA Services
We manage your Drug & Alcohol Testing Program
Fast, Compliant, White-Glove DOT Testing Management for Fleets and Owner-Operators
Managing a DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing Program can be complex. Between random selection requirements, test scheduling, employee records, and audit documentation, it’s easy for compliance gaps to appear. Our in-house DOT Compliance Team, MROs, and nationwide testing network make it easy to stay compliant and audit-ready — without adding to your workload.
If you fall into one of the following jurisdictions the DOT requires you to be a part of a Drug and Alcohol Testing Program or Consortium.
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)
- United States Coast Guard (USCG)
This is where CNS and our partners CNS Occupational Medicine come in. Our comprehensive Drug and Alcohol Consortium Administration Services (C/TPA) are available for companies that are regulated by Federal and State governments.
Who does it apply to?
You need to be part of a DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing Program if you:
- Drive a single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 26,001 lbs. or more.
- Drive a vehicle, such as a truck (including a pick-up) or trailer (10,001 lbs. or more), and tow a unit with a gross weight of 26,001 lbs. or more.
- Drive a bus or limo with room for 16 or more passengers, including the driver.
- Drive a vehicle that hauls hazardous waste of any size, weight, or amount, which requires a hazard materials placard.
Drug and Alcohol Tests: as low as $77
Drug and Alcohol Consortium: Pricing varies (nationwide)
- Laboratory approved and certified
- Appointment Setting
- Web-based test results
- Quick turnaround
How do we perform this service?
Full-Service DOT Drug & Alcohol/TPA Management
With CNS, you get a true white-glove experience. Just tell us the driver or applicant’s name and location, and we’ll handle the rest. We coordinate the test, track progress, review results, and deliver documentation — all within 24–48 hours.
What steps are we taking for you?
As your TPA, CNS acts as a direct extension of your safety department. We manage all aspects of your company’s drug and alcohol testing responsibilities, including:
We maintain and manage your random testing pool, ensuring selections meet federal percentages and are conducted in full compliance with DOT Part 40 and Part 382.
Verify safety-sensitive employees are qualified before they operate. We coordinate pre-employment testing and provide fast, electronic results.
Access 24/7 testing coordination following a DOT-recordable accident or when reasonable suspicion arises.
We ensure all SAP (Substance Abuse Professional) recommendations and follow-up schedules are met before the employee returns to work.
CNS maintains all required documentation, including MIS reports and Chain of Custody Forms, so you’re fully prepared for a DOT audit at any time.
We train and guide your Designated Employer Representative (DER) to properly manage employee testing responsibilities.
DOT SAP Program
When a driver tests positive, CNS provides SAP (Substance Abuse Professional) coordination and consultation to guide both the company and driver through the federally required process under 49 CFR Part 40.
- SAP referrals and communication
- Return-to-Duty test scheduling
- Follow-up testing program management
Our goal is to help you meet all DOT requirements while supporting your driver’s safe return to work.
24/7 Portal Access
Manage testing yourself through our easy-to-use compliance online portal where you can schedule tests, view results, and manage your entire program.
Prefer a more hands-off experience?
Simply send us the driver’s name and location — our compliance team will handle everything for you. Either way, you get fast results, transparent tracking, and complete compliance oversight.
Nationwide Coverage
With access to over 15,000 collection sites across the US, testing is simple, convenient, and fast no matter where drivers are located, with results back in 24–48 hours and reviewed by our in-house MRO team.
- 15,000+ testing sites nationwide
- 24–48 hour turnaround times
- Regular access to our compliance specialists
- Electronic results and recordkeeping through our secure online portal
Note: After-hours testing available in select regions for TPA clients
MOBILE FRIENDLY
All Drug and Alcohol Services can be performed within the comfort of our Mobile Health Clinic at your business, thus allowing employees to return to work quickly.
An excellent option to increase productivity by eliminating the inconvenience of sending employees to off-site clinics. Employees will be back to work within 30 minutes.
What is the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Testing Regulation?
49 CFR §382
The regulation related to Controlled Substances and Alcohol Use and Testing is very complicated and lengthy. You can review some of the general guidelines below, but a full description of the regulation can be found in this section of the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR).
382.101 - Purpose
The purpose of this part is to establish programs designed to help prevent accidents and injuries resulting from the misuse of alcohol or use of controlled substances by drivers of commercial motor vehicles.
382.103 - Applicability
- This part applies to service agents and to every person and to all employers of such persons who operate a commercial motor vehicle in commerce in any State and are subject to:
- The commercial driver’s license requirements of part 383 of this subchapter;
- The Licencia Federal de Conductor (Mexico) requirements; or
- The commercial drivers license requirements of the Canadian National Safety Code.
- An employer who employs himself/herself as a driver must comply with both the requirements in this part that apply to employers and the requirements in this part that apply to drivers. An employer who employs only himself/herself as a driver shall implement a random alcohol and controlled substances testing program of two or more covered employees in the random testing selection pool.
- The exceptions contained in § 390.3T(f) of this subchapter do not apply to this part. The employers and drivers identified in § 390.3T(f) of this subchapter must comply with the requirements of this part, unless otherwise specifically provided in paragraph (d) of this section.
- This part shall not apply to employers and their drivers:
- Required to comply only with the alcohol and/or controlled substances testing requirements of part 655 of this title (Federal Transit Administration alcohol and controlled substances testing regulations); or
- Who a State must waive from the requirements of part 383 of this subchapter. These individuals include active duty military personnel; members of the reserves; and members of the national guard on active duty, including personnel on full-time national guard duty, personnel on part-time national guard training and national guard military technicians (civilians who are required to wear military uniforms), and active duty U.S. Coast Guard personnel; or
- Who a State has, at its discretion, exempted from the requirements of part 383 of this subchapter. These individuals may be:
- Operators of a farm vehicle which is:
- Controlled and operated by a farmer;
- Used to transport either agricultural products, farm machinery, farm supplies, or both to or from a farm;
- Not used in the operations of a for-hire motor carrier, except for an exempt motor carrier as defined in § 390.5T of this subchapter; and
- Used within 241 kilometers (150 miles) of the farmer’s farm.
- Firefighters or other persons who operate commercial motor vehicles which are necessary for the preservation of life or property or the execution of emergency governmental functions, are equipped with audible and visual signals, and are not subject to normal traffic regulation.
- Operators of a farm vehicle which is:
- Who operate “covered farm vehicles,” as defined in 49 CFR 390.5.
382.105 - Testing procedures
Each employer shall ensure that all alcohol or controlled substances testing conducted under this part complies with the procedures set forth in part 40 of this title. The provisions of part 40 of this title that address alcohol or controlled substances testing are made applicable to employers by this part.
382.107 - Definitions
Learn more about the definintions of words or phrases used in this part in the link below:
382.109 - Preemption of State and local laws
- Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, this part preempts any State or local law, rule, regulation, or order to the extent that:
- Compliance with both the State or local requirement in this part is not possible; or
- Compliance with the State or local requirement is an obstacle to the accomplishment and execution of any requirement in this part.
- (b) This part shall not be construed to preempt provisions of State criminal law that impose sanctions for reckless conduct leading to actual loss of life, injury, or damage to property, whether the provisions apply specifically to transportation employees, employers, or the general public.
382.111 - Other requirements imposed by employers
Except as expressly provided in this part, nothing in this part shall be construed to affect the authority of employers, or the rights of drivers, with respect to the use of alcohol, or the use of controlled substances, including authority and rights with respect to testing and rehabilitation.
382.113 - Requirement for notice
Before performing each alcohol or controlled substances test under this part, each employer shall notify a driver that the alcohol or controlled substances test is required by this part. No employer shall falsely represent that a test is administered under this part.
382.115 - Starting date for testing programs
- All domestic-domiciled employers must implement the requirements of this part on the date the employer begins commercial motor vehicle operations.
- All foreign-domiciled employers must implement the requirements of this part on the date the employer begins commercial motor vehicle operations in the United States.
382.117 - Public interest exclusion
No employer shall use the services of a service agent who is subject to public interest exclusion in accordance with 49 CFR part 40, Subpart R.
382.119 - Stand-down waiver provision
- Employers are prohibited from standing employees down, except consistent with a waiver from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as required under this section.
- An employer subject to this part who seeks a waiver from the prohibition against standing down an employee before the MRO has completed the verification process shall follow the procedures in 49 CFR 40.21. The employer must send a written request, which includes all of the information required by that section to the Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
- The final decision whether to grant or deny the application for a waiver will be made by the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee.
- After a decision is signed by the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee, the employer will be sent a copy of the decision, which will include the terms and conditions for the waiver or the reason for denying the application for a waiver.
- Questions regarding waiver applications should be directed to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Office of Safety Programs (MC-SS), 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
382.123 - Driver identification
- Identification information on the Alcohol Testing Form (ATF). For each alcohol test performed under this part, the employer shall provide the driver’s commercial driver’s license number and State of issuance in Step 1, Section B of the ATF.
- Identification information on the Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form (CCF). For each controlled substance test performed under this part, the employer shall provide the following information, which must be recorded as follows:
- The driver’s commercial driver’s license number and State of issuance in Step 1, section C of the CCF.
- The employer’s name and other identifying information required in Step 1, section A of the CCF.
