Due to the rising rate of substance abuse in America and out of concern for the safety of all Americans who travel, the U.S. Congress passed the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991. Employers with fewer than 50 covered workers, who comprise the bulk of businesses affected by the regulations, were required to be in compliance with the DOT regulations by January 1, 1996. Over 8 million workers throughout the country are covered by DOT regulations, the vast majority being truck and bus drivers. The job of informing employers about the existence of the DOT regulations has been enormous. Both DOT and the private sector, including many trade associations and transportation industry groups, have worked to inform, educate, and otherwise help employers, especially those with smaller firms, comply with the regulations.
Most employers covered by the regulations can identify drug testing as a requirement.
However, many employers may be unaware of the other requirements and unsure of exactly what they must do to be in compliance with the regulations. A policy statement which must include many DOT-specific elements. Two hours of supervisor training annually on the effects of drugs and alcohol and on the responsibilities of supervisors of DOT-covered workers. Employer certification that employees have received drug and alcohol education. Full compliance with the regulations is certainly more complex than this list would imply.