- Get educated! There’s a whole host of things carriers and drivers must know;
- Communicate with your drug and alcohol testing third party administrator (TPA) to understand how they can help you query the clearinghouse and report violation info;
- Get registered! Registration opened on Sep. 28, 2019. There is no charge to register;
- When you register, make sure to include and designate your TPA(s) in your company profile during the registration process. Your TPA(s) will then be able to take the required actions (pre-employment and annual queries, and reporting of information) on your behalf if you want them to do so;
- Update your current DOT drug and alcohol testing policy to include the additional, required content listed in the Clearinghouse rules at Section 382.601, and any additional company policies you might want in place prior to full implementation;
- Think through your current hiring process to determine what to communicate to driver-applicants and when to request the full query;
- Communicate these new policies to all CDL drivers (both current and newly hired drivers), provide them a copy, obtain a signature verifying driver receipt, and ensure the receipt is in each driver’s qualification file;
- Decide which query bundle you need and, in November or December 2019, log on to your account and purchase your chosen bundle to ‘fund’ your account.
Want to know more about the Clearinghouse, read below about STC’s Clearinghouse educational webinar opportunities for individual fleets.