DOT Reasonable Suspicion Training
for Managers and Supervisors

All individuals who supervise motor carriers and other drivers are required to complete at least 60 minutes each of alcohol misuse and drug use training under 29 CFR 382.603.

This requirement applies to all businesses that use commercial vehicles that require a CDL to operate on public roads and that have at least one employee. All such employers are subject to national testing programs.

Transportation managers who must complete this curriculum include:

• Fleet operators
• Safety officers
• Commercial carriers
• And more

If you are not sure if this requirement applies to your job, visit the Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC) website for more information.

By completing this regulatory compliance training, students will:

• Be able to describe relevant DOT/FMCSA regulations
• Know the types of situations in which motor carrier employees are required to undergo testing
• Understand the concept of reasonable suspicion testing and how tests are conducted
• Know how to recognize the signs that an employee may have a substance use disorder
• Be able to describe the behavior and physical signs that someone has been consuming alcohol
• Understand how to approach an employee being referred for testing
• Understand removal-from-work and return-to-duty processes
• Know where employees can get help for a substance use disorder

To complete this program, you must pass a 10-question final exam with a score of at least 80%. Test items are drawn from all lesson content. The final exam is a mixture of multiple-choice and true/false questions.

There is no time limit for the test. You may take the exam as many times as needed to pass.

During each chapter, you must also complete a three-question quiz about a short video clip and pass a three-question topic test before proceeding to the next lesson module.

This program includes 13 lesson modules designed to help managers and supervisors identify signs that warrant testing for commercial drivers.

The full outline is provided below.

• DOT/FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Regulations
• An Overview of Reasonable Suspicion Testing
• What Makes Suspicion Reasonable?
• General Signs of Substance Use Disorders
• Behavioral Signs of Drug Use
• Physical Signs of Drug Use
• Behavioral Signs of Alcohol Use
• Physical Signs of Alcohol Use
• Approaching the Employee
• Drug and Alcohol Testing Basics
• How Drug and Alcohol Tests Are Conducted
• Removal and Return-to-Duty
• Getting Help for Substance Use Disorders