Step 1:  Call us or schedule now on this site:

Remember- we have locations both North and South of Austin. Choose your location during the scheduling process.

 

Step 2:  The Clearinghouse

The FMCSA Clearinghouse is a national computerized database.  Starting in 2020, all violations must be recorded in the Clearinghouse.  A violation will remain in the Clearinghouse for at least 5 years, or until the driver has completed the SAP’s follow-up testing plan, whichever is later. 

 

All FMCSA employers are required to check an applicant’s record in the Clearinghouse.  An employer cannot hire a driver/applicant until a SAP indicates that the driver has successfully complied with the SAP’s education and/or treatment recommendation . 

 

Use this link to register for the Clearinhouse if you have not done so yet.

https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/.  

 

Step 3: The Assessment
Before you can return to a DOT safety-sensitive position, you must successfully complete a return-to-duty process.

A Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) will have to:
•    Conduct a thorough face-to-face clinical evaluation
•    Recommend a required plan of education and/or treatment
•    Send a report to the employer about that recommendation
•    Monitor your progress through that plan
•   Conduct a face-to-face follow-up evaluation, to verify that you completed the recommendation and that it was successful

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The assessment will take about an hour and the SAP will ask questions to determine recommendations for education and/or treatment, follow-up testing and your ability to return to your DOT safety sensitive position. The SAP then sends a report to the employer about the recommendations. At this time, you will be expected to follow the SAP's recommendations and schedule a follow up appointment with your SAP for the expected time of completion.

 

Step 4: After the substance abuse clinical assessment?

•    Conduct a clinical follow-up evaluation to determine if you have complied with the recommendations
•    Send a report of compliance to the employer

 

If the SAP determines the treatment was successful, the SAP will send a report of compliance to the employer. The employer (or a future employer) can then order a return-to-duty test, which must be negative.  The specimen collection will be an observed collection of the same gender. If your return-to-duty test is positive, you will have a new violation.  You will be required to start over with another clinical assessment, and another recommendation for education and/or treatment. 

 

If the SAP determines that you didn’t cooperate with the treatment plan, or that you didn’t participate appropriately, the SAP will send a report of non-compliance to the employer, and you will have to continue with the program.

 

Upon successful completion of the SAP's recommendations, the employer will direct you to take a DOT return-to-duty test. If they terminated you, the new employer will have you take a return to duty drug test that will be used as the pre employment test.

 

After the negative DOT return-to-duty drug test, you will be subjected to follow-up testing as required by your SAP. All follow up tests are direct observe with at least six unannounced tests within the first 12 months of the violation. However, your SAP can require any number of tests, and the testing period can last up to five years.

 

Step 5: Return-to-Duty