Why on-site matters for suspicion tests
An employee you suspect is impaired should not drive themselves across town to a clinic, and pulling a supervisor off the job to drive them costs you the rest of the shift. A mobile collector comes to the site. The employee stays put, the supervisor stays on the job, and the test happens while the observations are fresh.
The DOT rules, in plain terms
- Observations come first. Under 49 CFR 382.307, the call has to rest on specific, current observations of appearance, behavior, speech or body odor, made by a supervisor trained under 382.603.
- Alcohol has the same windows as post-accident. Test within 2 hours, document if you can't, stop at 8 hours.
- The supervisor who made the call can't do the alcohol test. That is one reason employers use an outside collector.
- Write it down. The supervisor's observations need a signed written record within 24 hours or before results are released, whichever comes first.
Discreet, on your schedule
Most suspicion calls come late in a shift, at night or on a weekend. We are on call evenings, nights and weekends. We set up in a private office, a trailer or a truck cab, away from the crew, and run the breath alcohol test and the drug collection in one visit. Results go to your designated employer representative, not to the jobsite.
Non-DOT suspicion tests
For employees not covered by DOT, we follow your written drug and alcohol policy. That can mean a rapid urine screen with results the same visit, a lab-based collection, a breath alcohol test, or a combination. Bring your company's forms or use ours.
Before you call
- Keep the employee with a supervisor and off safety-sensitive work.
- Do not let them drive.
- Start the written observation record while it is fresh.
- Call (832) 472-1058 with the location and whether the test is DOT or company policy.
Questions
Who decides if a reasonable-suspicion test is justified?
Your trained supervisor or company official. We are the collector. We do not make the call, but we can test quickly once you do.
Can the employee refuse?
Under DOT rules, a refusal is treated as a violation with the same consequences as a positive. We document what happens and your designated employer representative handles the next steps.
Is there a time limit on the drug test?
FMCSA sets 2 and 8 hour limits for the alcohol test. The drug collection should happen as soon as possible after the decision, which is why on-site testing helps.