Per the University Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy for FMCSA-Covered Employees, University of Minnesota employees subject to the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Testing Program are drivers who are employed by the University’s agricultural/farm operations, Research and Outreach Centers, Landscape Arboretum, and others who are required to hold a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and who operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV), when that vehicle meets the following:

• a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 or more pounds inclusive of a towed unit with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds; or
• a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 or more pounds; or
• designed to transport 16 or more persons including a driver; or
• a vehicle of any size that transports materials found to be hazardous for the purposes of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 5103[b]) and which requires the motor vehicle to be placarded under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (40 CFR Part 172, Subpart F).

Per the University Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy for FTA-Covered Employees, University of Minnesota employees subject to the FTA Drug and Alcohol Testing Program are employees that:

• drive a paratransit vehicle
• dispatch or control movement of a paratransit vehicle
• maintain a paratransit vehicle
• security personnel who carry firearms

University of Minnesota employees subject to the FMCSA and FTA Drug and Alcohol Programs may find the following resource useful: What Employees Need To Know About DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing.

Required Forms, Information, and Policies

Supervisors for 1) new hires and 2) current employees of the University of Minnesota whose job duties change to include driving functions for a DOT-covered position at the University, must ensure that the new hire or employee submit the following paperwork to the Biosafety and Occupational Health Department before the employee begins safety-sensitive duties. Such duties include (but are not limited to) waiting to be dispatched, inspecting or servicing any commercial motor vehicle, and loading or unloading a vehicle. A comprehensive list of all FMCSA- or FTA-specific safety-sensitive duties for the University of Minnesota can be found in the “Definitions” section of the policies listed below.

• Authorization to Operate a Commercial Motor Vehicle While Using a Controlled Substance
  If the applicant or employee has been prescribed a controlled substance, a physician must complete this form. If the applicant/employee is not currently taking any prescription drugs, he or she must only complete the bottom part of the form.
• Information for Applicants for DOT-Covered Positions
  Federal law requires applicants/employees to disclose whether they have previously refused to be tested or received a positive test result on any pre-employment test for any other DOT employer.

Supervisors must also provide a copy of the University Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy pertinent to their position:

• University Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy for FMCSA-Covered Employees
  Applicants/employees must sign and return the second page of the policy to acknowledge that they have received the policy.
• University Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy for FTA-covered Employees
  Applicants/employees must sign and return the last page of the policy to acknowledge that they have received the policy.

For further questions about adding a new DOT-covered employee, supervisors must contact the Biosafety and Occupational Health Department, at [email protected] or (612) 626-5008.

An employee that receives a job offer is required by federal law to complete a pre-employment / pre-placement drug-test (urine). All job offers are contingent on a negative result.

An employee is required by federal law to enroll in a random drug and alcohol testing pool. Random testing for the University of Minnesota is accomplished by a third party and ensures that each employee has an equal chance of completing random drug and alcohol testing each time a selection is made. As a result, a single employee may be selected to complete random drug and alcohol testing more than once per year.

An employee is required by federal law to submit to reasonable suspicion drug and/or alcohol testing when a supervisor has reason to believe that an employee has engaged in prohibited conduct. Only a supervisor or University official trained in compliance with FMCSA rules and regulations can determine that an employee should be tested.

Reasonable suspicion means a belief that a driver has violated alcohol or controlled substances prohibitions, based on specific, contemporaneous, documentable observations concerning the appearance, behavior, speech, or body odors of that driver. In the case of controlled substances, the observations may include indicators of the chronic and withdrawal effects of controlled substances. Trained supervisors must use the following forms to document and report reasonable suspicion:

• Reasonable Suspicion Checklist 
• Incident Report Form for Documenting Reasonable Suspicion

An employee (driver) involved in an accident is required by federal law for deciding whether or not a post-accident drug and alcohol test is required.

An employee (driver) must use the following guidelines below to decide whether post-accident drug and/or alcohol testing is required: 

• Accident Procedure Guidelines for FMCSA Covered Drivers
• Accident Procedure Guidelines for FTA Covered Drivers

An employee is required by federal law to provide a negative result for a return-to-duty drug and/or alcohol test(s) is a part of the Return to Duty requirements.

An employee is required by federal law to complete Follow-up alcohol and/or drug testing as a Return-to-Duty requirement, in addition to the Return-to-duty alcohol and/or drug testing. Follow-up-testing is employee-specific and dictated by a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP).