Blog
Avoid These Costly DOT Drug Testing Mistakes
It seems like administering DOT drug tests should be a simple and straightforward process. However, knowing who to test, when to test, and what kind of test to administer can be confusing, and doing it wrong can have serious financial consequences for your business....
Can Women Be Truck Drivers? Yes!
Truck driving is currently a male-dominated industry, with over 90% of jobs held by men. It can feel intimidating for women to try to break into commercial driving. However, the industry is changing. The number of women entering the trucking industry is growing...
Commercial Driving and Mental Illness: What Are the Rules?
When you think about the most dangerous jobs, commercial driving might not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, among US workers, truck drivers experience the third highest fatality rate, with the majority of those fatalities occurring in highway accidents....
Managing Testing Anxiety For Your DOT Medical Examiner Certification
You’ve been preparing for weeks, yet as you walk into the building for your DOT certification exam, your heart begins to race, your palms get sweaty, and you suddenly can’t remember anything you studied. While you can expect some...
6 Steps to Get Back to Driving After a Failed DOT Drug or Alcohol Test
If you are a commercial driver, failing an official drug test is a big deal that will put your career on hold. The good news is that you can return to work after a failed drug test if you follow the six steps below. Who Needs to Complete the DOT Return-to-Duty...
Avoiding the Legal Pitfalls of DOT Physical Exams for Physicians
Doctors who perform physical exams for commercial drivers need to be aware of their increased legal liability. Because of Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, medical professionals performing DOT exams have unique legal exposure. Claims against medical...
Shy Lung? 5 Surprising Causes of Insufficient Breath Samples
Two key criteria must be met when using breath alcohol testing equipment, also known as evidential breath testers (or EBTs), to capture a breath sample. First, the test subject must provide a minimum volume of breath. (Between 1200 ccs and 1300 ccs, depending on the...
Creating Work-Life Balance as a Busy DOT Medical Examiner
As a medical professional, you understand how important it is to maintain a healthy balance between the many priorities in your life. You’ve seen how constant access to remote work and emails is blurring the lines between work and home and the impact that stress has...
9 Things You Need to Know About DOT Random Drug Testing
The Department of Transportation requires regular, random drug tests. These tests help make sure employees are not operating a vehicle under the influence. However, random drug testing is only valid if it follows DOT regulations. Whether you want to complete your DOT...
Taking the Mystery out of Choosing a Breath Alcohol Testing Device
With over 100 devices listed on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) list of approved devices, choosing the right breath alcohol testing equipment can be daunting. To simplify things for you, we’ve compiled a list of things to consider when...
Recent Posts
Breathe Easy: What DOT Drivers Can Expect from a Spirometry Test
A spirometry test is not required as a part of every CDL medical exam. But if your doctor has any concerns about your lung function, they may ask you to take one. If you’ve never taken a spirometry test, you might feel concerned about the testing procedure and what it...
How Companies Benefit From Drug and Alcohol Testing Pools
For Department of Transportation (DOT) regulated employers, random drug and alcohol testing is both a requirement and a responsibility. Even in non-DOT-regulated industries, such as health care and construction, random drug testing is a best practice that keeps...
Commercial Driver Alert: How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System?
You’re off work for the weekend, so you meet some friends for drinks on Sunday. You’re having a good time, but it’s getting late in the day, and you have an early shift in the morning. Your friends ask you to stay for one more round, and you’re not sure. As a...
11 Common Misconceptions About DOT Physicals
A Department of Transportation (DOT) physical exam is integral to obtaining and maintaining a commercial driver’s license. Whether you are preparing for your first DOT physical or are a career driver, here are 11 myths and misconceptions that we need to dispel...
Protect Yourself with this Checklist for Your DOT Driver Qualification File
Chances are, at some point, one of your drivers will be involved in an accident. The first thing you want to do after a traffic incident is make sure that everyone is ok. The very next thing you want to do is to ensure that your Driver Qualification Files (DQF) are in...