Drug and Alcohol Consortium FAQs
What is a drug and alcohol consortium?
A drug and alcohol consortium is a group of employees from many different companies, including owner-operators, who are subject to random drug and alcohol testing. The DOT and US Coast Guard require most drivers and companies to be in a consortium.
Who needs to be in a consortium?
Truck drivers and any DOT safety-sensitive employees must be part of a random pool, regardless of job titles like supervisor, volunteer, contractor, owner-operator, etc.
Use this quiz to discover whether an individual must be in a program.
How do I start offering a consortium through TeamCME?
- You or an employee must be a certified DOT Urine Specimen Collector. Need to become certified? Click “Get Certified”.
- Request a TeamCME lab account, if not already assigned one.
- Go to the TeamCME Member Center (login required) and download our marketing posters found under the Consortium section. Post them in a conspicuous place in your office or add them to your intake forms.
- Add companies and drivers using the Company Setup Form. For additional help and questions, call (541) 276-6032.
Do I need any equipment to offer drug and alcohol consortium services through TeamCME?
For drug testing, all the non-instant drug testing supplies are free. Click below to order. You will need to be logged in to order the free supplies.
For alcohol testing, you may use a breathalyzer which has a higher upfront cost, or you may purchase inexpensive saliva strips.
In either case, you will need to purchase DOT alcohol forms. You can purchase them in our store. They are discounted for TeamCME members.
What is my cost to set up consortium companies through TeamCME?
How much should I charge a company for each setup?
Whatever you like! We recommend you gather competitor pricing information and price accordingly.
Typically, TeamCME members can charge at least twice the amount of what the member is being charged by TeamCME.
How often are the random selections?
Random selections and testing are performed quarterly and spread equally throughout the year.
Companies can require additional testing if it is in their drug and alcohol testing policy.
How are individuals selected for testing?
Everyone in the pool must have an equal chance of being selected and tested in each selection period. TeamCME uses sophisticated computer-based random selection software.
What are the required testing percentages?
I submitted a company to the consortium. What happens now?
Once we process your submission, you will receive two emails- one with an eligible donors list attached, and another with the enrollment certificate. Forward both attachments to the company or owner-operator.
If the company sends you any employment updates, changes, or has any testing done with you, send the information to us.
Wait for the next draw for selection and notify the company of any employees that need to report for a test.
How are individuals notified to report for a test?
An email notification will be sent to your office. You then relay that information to the company’s Designated Employer Representative (DER). It is particularly important the DER is not eligible for testing.
The driver chosen for testing should not receive advanced notice of the selection. Once notified, the driver must report immediately to your office or another collection facility.
If the DER is eligible for testing (owner-operator situations), and selected for testing, we recommend having the DER report to your office and then informing them they were selected for testing. Then immediately proceed with the collection.
When should an employee be notified to report for a test?
An individual should be notified during one of three time periods:
- While they are on their way to work,
- While they are at work, or
- When they are just getting off work.
We recommend notifying an employee while they are at work and able to report to your office or another collection site.
What must employees do when notified of a random test?
When an employee is notified of being selected for testing, they must proceed immediately to the collection site (your office).
If an employee is notified of a random selection while working “off-site” or “on the road,” the company’s policies should dictate what the employee must do before resuming safety-sensitive functions.
You should also have written procedures for owner-operators regarding when to notify the driver to report to a specific collection site.
What if the selected person isn’t available for testing?
If a selected person is unavailable during the selection cycle for a legitimate reason such as an extended absence or long-term illness, document the reason. Then make another selection or make an extra selection during the next selection cycle.
If an employee is notified on their day off, they should still report to a collection facility to complete the drug test.
If a person is selected for testing but has not received notice since it is their day off, test the person during their next shift.
Why are some people randomly tested more than once?
In a truly random selection process, a high probability exists that some employees will be selected several times while others may never be selected. After each selection, the employee’s name is returned to the same pool, and he or she becomes just as likely as anyone else to be selected next time.
Can companies be in their own testing pool?
Yes, if the company has eight DOT safety-sensitive employees which includes truck drivers.
Does an employee working for more than one DOT Agency mode need to be in multiple pools?
If the employee is 50% one mode and 50% another, the driver must meet the requirements of the pool that requires the higher testing percentage. An employee who drives a CMV 50% of the time and handles hazardous material the other 50% of the time would need to meet the FMCSA-required random rates of 50% drug testing and 10% alcohol testing, even when PHMSA prohibits random alcohol testing and only requires 25% random drug testing.
Have another question we didn’t answer?
Send an email to consortium@teamcme.com