Drug & Alcohol Training Requirements for Drivers and Supervisors
Driver Drug & Alcohol Training
Optional Provision — The materials may also include information on additional employer policies with respect to the use or possession of alcohol or drugs. These additional policies must be clearly identified as based on the employer's independent authority.
Drivers are not required to undergo formal training under the federal drug and alcohol testing regulations. However, materials explaining how the employer implements the requirements of 49 CFR Part 382, and the employer's policies, must be provided to each driver.
Written notice of the availability of these materials must be provided to union representatives. These materials must be distributed to the start of alcohol and drug testing. Each driver must sign a receipt that he/she has received a copy of the materials.
Information on the following twelve areas must be included in the DOT drug and alcohol policy materials:
- The name of the person designated by the employer to answer driver questions about the materials
- The categories of drivers who are subject to the provisions of 49 CFR Part 382
- Sufficient information about the safety–sensitive functions performed by those drivers to make clear what period of the work day the driver is required to be in compliance with 49 CFR Part 382
- Specific information concerning driver conduct that is prohibited
- The circumstances under which a driver will be tested for alcohol and/or drugs under 49 CFR Part 382
- The procedures that will be used to test for the presence of alcohol and drugs, protect the driver and the integrity of the testing processes, safeguard the validity of the test results, and ensure that those results are attributed to the correct driver
- The requirement that a driver submit to alcohol and drug tests administered in accordance with 49 CFR Part 382
- An explanation of what constitutes a refusal to submit to an alcohol or controlled substances test and the attendant consequences
- The consequences for drivers found to have violated Subpart B, including the requirement that the driver be removed immediately from safety–sensitive functions, and the procedures under §382.605;
- The consequences for drivers found to have an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or greater but less than 0.04
- Information concerning:
- The effects of alcohol and drug use on an individual's health, work, and personal life
- Signs and symptoms of an alcohol or drug problem (the driver's or a co–worker's)
- Available methods of intervening when an alcohol or drug problem is suspected, including confrontation, referral to any employee assistance program and or referral to management.
- The requirement that the following personal information collected and maintained under this part shall be reported to the CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse:
- A verified positive, adulterated, or substituted drug test result;
- An alcohol confirmation test with a concentration of 0.04 or higher;
- A refusal to submit to any test required by Subpart C of Part 382;
- An employer’s report of actual knowledge, as defined at §382.107:
- On duty alcohol use pursuant to §382.205;
- Pre-duty alcohol use pursuant to §382.207;
- Alcohol use following an accident pursuant to §382.209;
- Controlled substance use pursuant to §382.213;
- A substance abuse professional (SAP as defined in §40.3) report of the successful completion of the return-to-duty process;
- A negative return-to-duty test; and
- An employer’s report of completion of follow-up testing.
Supervisor Drug & Alcohol Training (§382.603)
An employer must ensure all persons designated to supervise drivers receive the following:
- 60 minutes of training on alcohol misuse, and
- 60 minutes of training on drug use.
Supervisors will use the training to determine whether reasonable suspicion exists to require a driver to undergo testing.
The training must cover the physical, behavioral, speech, and performance indicators of probable alcohol misuse and use of drugs. Recurrent training is not required.
View our Reasonable Suspicion Training.