NEENAH, Wis. — A carrier’s drug and alcohol testing program involves one of the most complex regulatory areas with some of the greatest potential for serious risks.
The person on the front line of these risks — and required to be on staff by the Department of Transportation — is the Designated Employer Representative (DER).To help carriers ensure their DER is running an effective, compliant drug and alcohol testing program, J. J. Keller & Associates Inc. has introduced the DOT Drug and Alcohol Training Service for DERs, a news release stated.This hands-on, consultant-led program trains a carrier’s company-appointed DER to be qualified to perform their duties as required by the DOT federal regulations found in 49 CFR Part 40 for drug and alcohol testing.“Carriers frequently, and usually unknowingly, put their business at risk by not meeting all of the drug and alcohol testing requirements,” said Sean Nebert, director of Transport Consulting Services at J. J. Keller. “This is often the result of a DER being improperly trained to fully understand the regulatory requirements and their role in complying with them.”J. J. Keller’s new training service covers:
- Drug and alcohol regulations.
- Testing applicability.
- DER responsibilities.
- Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse tasks.
- Testing procedures.
- Reasonable suspicion training.
- FMCSA test types.
- Drug and alcohol program elements.
- Recordkeeping.
- Example DER scenarios.
“Unlike typical online training programs, this in-person training is customized based on a carrier’s driver population, current drug and alcohol program, past violations, and other criteria,” added Nebert. “Plus, our consultants can answer specific questions throughout the training pertaining to the carrier’s needs and make sure that all of the training is understood.”
According to Nebert, the ultimate goal of this service is to help protect carriers and their DERs from litigation risks and audit exposure while making roadways safer.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
