For drivers with violations, the Department of Transportation has implemented a new process. For those who test positive for alcohol or drugs while working, the SAP clearinghouse is required. Employees who have broken a DOT drug and alcohol programme rule are evaluated by a substance abuse professional (SAP).
To start the process, the driver must register on the FMCSA Clearinghouse and get in touch with a SAP specialist. The SAP expert offers an evaluation and suggestions to help the process of getting back to work as soon as possible. Here is the new process for SAP
A positive drug test or refusal is confirmed by MRO. Alternatively, if the employer confirms a positive alcohol test result or a determined refusal
- MRO (or employer) enters the violation on the driver’s record, using the CD# that is now required to be on the CCF
- The driver receives a notification (e-mail or text, according to the driver’s preference) that information has been entered on his record
- A driver goes to his record, views the violation, and enters the name of the SAP Evaluation he wishes to use
- The Clearinghouse now kicks out a notification e-mail to the SAP, indicating that the SAP has an “invitation” from the driver
- The SAP goes to his/her record on the Clearinghouse and will see an invitation message on the SAP’s dashboard with the driver’s name
- The SAP clicks on “Accept Request” or “Deny Request”
- If the SAP clicks on “Accept Request”, the SAP will now be able to access the driver’s record
- After the SAP completes the assessment and tells the driver what the SAP’s treatment recommendation is, the SAP enters the date of the final assessment meeting
- After determining that the driver has successfully complied, the SAP enters the date of the determination, which means an employer (either the previous employer or a new employer) can order a return-to-duty test
- The SAP is now done. Close the file!
Nothing will occur until the MRO enters a positive or negative drug test result, or until the employer enters a positive or negative alcohol test result. The initial step in starting the procedure is entering that information on a driver’s record.
Important points to remember
- The MRO has two days to report a drug infraction.
- An employer has three days to report an alcohol-related infraction.
This implies that the driver might be in your office before the infraction is noted on the Clearinghouse, and as a result, the driver hasn’t had a chance to ask you to serve as his or her SAP.
Your name must exactly match what the driver entered when you registered with the Clearinghouse. If the driver enters Deborah Jones instead of your name, the transaction will fail. Make sure the driver is familiar with the precise name listed on your Clearinghouse record.
IF I CAN’T FIND THE DRIVER’S RECORD, WHAT DO I DO?
The violation ought to be on the SAP Clearinghouse near me if the motorist confirms registration and the violation occurred on January 6 or later. You could phone the MRO’s office and inquire about if the violation was recorded if it was a drug test and more than two days have gone after the MRO spoke to the driver. The driver might not have seen his email to notice the instruction regarding inviting a SAP if they inform you it has been entered. Ask them when they will enter the infraction information on the driver’s record if they respond that they haven’t.
NOT ALL DRIVERS ARE REQUIRED TO REGISTER ON THE CLEARINGHOUSE
This assertion is regularly made by FMCSA. It’s misleading and perplexing. It’s not a loophole, though. There is no reason for a driver to be on the Clearinghouse if they never apply for a job with a new employer and they never get in trouble. This is because no prospective employer would ever check to see whether they had a violation. Additionally, because he has no violations on his record, it wouldn’t show up when his present employer runs an annual check on it.