Did you get your DOT lab summaries for 2022?
By now, motor carriers should have received an annual statistical summary of their drug test results for the second half of 2022.
If you’re like many employers, you may be unsure about why you received the summary and what you’re supposed to do with it.
According to a recent DOT bulletin, motor carriers and other DOT-regulated employers are often confused when asked to provide the statistical summaries during an audit — and sometimes provide the wrong information.
Summaries are issued twice per year
Under 49 CFR 40.111, the DOT requires each approved drug testing laboratory to report to each employer a breakdown of all drug tests the lab processed for the employer during the preceding six months. The only exception is for employers with fewer than five test results.
Labs must send these reports by January 20 and July 20 each year. The July report covers the first half of that year and the January report covers the second half of the prior year.
According to 49 CFR 382.401, motor carriers are required to keep a copy of the lab summaries for five years.
Summary must go to the employer
The DOT says labs sometimes mistakenly report the statistical data to third-party administrators (TPAs), however, rather than employers. Then, when asked for the data during a motor carrier audit, TPAs commonly respond by providing billing-related summaries rather than actual statistical documents, according to the DOT.
“While information from these summaries can be useful, they are categorically different from the laboratory statistical summary required by 49 CFR 40.111,” the DOT notes.
Under 40.111, laboratories “must transmit an aggregate statistical summary, by employer … to the employer on a semi-annual basis.” [Emphasis added.]
Two steps to compliance
To avoid a violation:
- Be sure your DOT-approved laboratory sends you a testing summary twice each year. If you don’t receive one by early February and/or August each year, contact the lab to obtain it — and to remind them of the rules.
- Maintain each summary for five years in case of an audit.
It’s also a good idea to review each summary to make sure it accurately reflects your drug testing results for the prior six months. Reviewing your aggregate lab summaries over the course of several years can also provide useful information about the types of tests being performed, substances being found, and other trends in your testing program.
Key to remember: If you operate a DOT drug testing program, make sure your lab is sending semiannual statistical summaries directly to your company when required, and that you’re keeping them on file for at least five years.