DOT Drug & Alcohol Testing Programs 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following specimens is NOT currently authorized for DOT-mandated drug testing?
- Urine
- Oral fluid
- Blood
- Both blood and hair (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Both blood and hair
DOT currently authorizes urine and oral fluid specimens; blood and hair are not approved DOT testing specimens.
Question 2: A DOT random drug testing program for CMV drivers must have a minimum annual random testing rate of what percentage of the average number of driver positions?
- 10%
- 25%
- 50% (Correct answer)
- 75%
Correct answer: 50%
FMCSA requires a minimum random drug testing rate of 50% of covered employees annually under 49 CFR 382.305.
Question 3: What happens if a DOT-covered employee refuses to submit to a required drug or alcohol test?
- The test is rescheduled for a later date
- The refusal is treated the same as a positive test result (Correct answer)
- The employee receives a written warning only
- The employer must conduct additional reasonable suspicion observation
Correct answer: The refusal is treated the same as a positive test result
A refusal to test is treated identically to a positive test result, prohibiting the employee from performing safety-sensitive functions.
Question 4: Under DOT regulations, who bears the cost of a split specimen (Bottle B) retest requested by the employee?
- The employer always pays
- FMCSA pays through a federal fund
- The employee pays unless the retest is negative (Correct answer)
- Cost sharing between employer and employee
Correct answer: The employee pays unless the retest is negative
The employee is responsible for the cost of a split specimen retest, but if the retest overturns the positive result, the employer typically reimburses the cost.
Question 5: A Consortium/Third Party Administrator (C/TPA) in a DOT drug testing program is primarily responsible for:
- Performing the actual laboratory analysis of specimens
- Administering testing program functions on behalf of employers (Correct answer)
- Certifying drivers as medically qualified
- Setting federal drug testing cutoff concentrations
Correct answer: Administering testing program functions on behalf of employers
A C/TPA manages drug and alcohol testing program logistics for employers, including random selection, record keeping, and coordinating collections.
Question 6: Under DOT rules, an employer receives a report that a driver had an alcohol test result of 0.03. What action is required?
- Immediate removal from safety-sensitive functions
- No action required; the result is below the 0.04 threshold
- Removal for 24 hours and retesting (Correct answer)
- Referral to a Substance Abuse Professional
Correct answer: Removal for 24 hours and retesting
An alcohol result between 0.02 and 0.039 requires the employer to remove the employee from safety-sensitive functions for at least 24 hours; the employee may not return until a test shows below 0.02.
Question 7: Which of the following is classified as a safety-sensitive function under FMCSA drug and alcohol regulations?
- Completing trip logs in the office
- Waiting at a terminal with a loaded vehicle ready to dispatch (Correct answer)
- Attending mandatory safety training
- Fueling the CMV while off duty
Correct answer: Waiting at a terminal with a loaded vehicle ready to dispatch
Being on duty in a CMV, including waiting to be dispatched with a loaded vehicle, constitutes a safety-sensitive function under 49 CFR 382.107.
DOT Drug & Alcohol Testing Programs 3
Which of the following specimens is NOT currently authorized for DOT-mandated drug testing?