Random Testing Instructions

Owner-Operators

Once notified of a random selection (by email or viewed in your account), DOT requires you to stop performing safety-sensitive functions and complete testing immediately.

Required Steps

1. Stop driving immediately
2. Order the test to obtain the QPassport
3. Call the collection site to confirm they are open and accepting walk-ins before reporting for testing
4. Report for testing immediately

Important Compliance Information

• Failure to get tested immediately is considered a refusal-to-test and treated as a positive result
• Delays in testing may result in legal liability if you are in an accident before testing

Employers

Once notified of a random selection (by email or viewed in your account), DOT requires employers to immediately notify drivers and send them for testing.

Required Steps

1. Order the test to obtain the QPassport
2. Call the collection site to confirm they are open and accepting walk-ins before notifying drivers
3. Notify the driver immediately and send the driver for testing

Important Compliance Information

• Delays in notifying drivers may result in legal liability if a driver is involved in an accident before testing is completed
• Failure to get tested immediately is considered a refusal-to-test and treated as a positive result

Testing Instructions

Drug Testing

Order DOT drug tests online through your Express Labs account using QPassports.  If you are unable to order online, use Quest paper forms provided by Express Labs.

• All DOT drug tests must be ordered through Express Labs; results from outside consortiums or third-party programs are not accepted.
• Drug Testing – View Instructions

Alcohol Testing

Order breath alcohol tests online through your Express Labs account using QPassports.  If you are unable to order online, choose any site, pay for the test, and send Express Labs the results.

• Alcohol Testing – View Instructions

Managing Drivers

Deactivating Drivers

DOT requires employers to immediately deactivate drivers — and owner-operators before being selected — if they are no longer active or unavailable for random testing (terminated, on leave, vacation, etc.).  Failure to promptly deactivate inactive drivers may result in unnecessary random selections and compliance issues.

• Deactivate Drivers - View Instructions

Re-Selections

If a selected driver is deactivated, another driver is automatically re-selected, which may result in a driver being selected more than once in the same quarter.

• DOT only allows re-selections within the selection period.

Active Drivers List

Express Labs provides an updated Active Drivers List on the 1st of every month to review your Active Drivers List to ensure inactive drivers have been removed to prevent unnecessary random selections.  DOT also requires current driver license information to order tests.

• Download your Active Drivers List anytime in Certificates & Driver List
• Deactivate Drivers and Add Drivers Licenses - View Instructions

Express Labs Random Testing Program

Notification Process

The Express Labs member portal is the official source for all random selection notifications.  Random selections are emailed and posted to member accounts each January, April, July, and October.

• If an email notification is not received, members are responsible for logging into their account to review posted random selections on February 1st, May 1st, August 1st, and November 1st.

How Random Selections Work

Drivers are placed in a shared consortium testing pool and selections are generated randomly each quarter (January, April, July, October)

• Each active driver has an equal chance of being selected each quarter
• Drivers may be selected 0-4 times a year

When are Drivers Added to the Random Pool?

Drivers are automatically added to the random pool (and eligible to be randomly selected) once negative pre-employment DOT drug test results are reported by the Express Labs MRO (Medical Review Officer).

When are Drivers Eligible for Random Selection?

Once added to the pool, active drivers are eligible during the next selection period.

• Drivers may be selected during any selection period after being added

Random Testing - Selection Frequency

Can Drivers be Selected Multiple Times a Year?

Yes. Drivers may be selected more than once during the year.

• Random selections cannot exclude previously selected drivers

Can Drivers be Selected Multiple Times in the Same Quarter?

Yes, if a selected driver is deactivated, another driver is selected.

• This may result in a driver being selected more than once in the same quarter

Can a Driver be Selected right after Pre-Employment Results?

Yes, once a negative result is received, the driver is added to the pool.

Why do I keep getting Selected (Owner-Operator)?

Because the process is truly random, it is possible for the same driver to be selected multiple quarters in a row.  This is normal and does not indicate a problem with the program.

• Each driver has an equal chance of being selected each quarter
• Drivers may be selected 0-4 times a year

Why does the same Driver keep getting Selected?

Because the process is truly random, it is possible for the same driver to be selected multiple quarters in a row or more frequently than others.  This is normal and does not indicate a problem with the program.

• Each driver has an equal chance of being selected each quarter
• Drivers may be selected 0-4 times a year

Why haven’t some Drivers been Selected at all?

Random selection does not guarantee equal distribution over short periods.  Some drivers may not be selected for a while, while others may be selected more often.  Over time, selections tend to balance out.

Random Drug Test Results from another Company

The driver will need to complete a new random drug test through Express Labs to satisfy the random selection requirement.  All DOT drug tests must be ordered and completed through Express Labs.  After enrollment, Express Labs does not accept drug test results from other companies, consortiums, or third-party programs.

• Drug test results completed outside of Express Labs cannot be counted toward Express Labs’ federally required testing percentages and will not satisfy the original random selection requirement.

DOT Policy for Refusal-to-Test

Drivers who do not report for testing immediately after notification are considered to have refused to test, which has the same consequences as a positive result.

• Employers must determine if a driver has refused-to-test and report the violation to the FMCSA Clearinghouse
• DOT requires Express Labs to determine if an owner-operator driver has refused-to-test and report the violation to the FMCSA Clearinghouse.
• DOT Policy for Refusal-to-Test - View Policy
• DOT Policy for "Get Tested Immediately" (page 19) - View Policy

Random Testing - Compliance

Compliance Responsibility

• Employers: Upon notification (by email or viewed account), compliance responsibility rests with the Employer (Company). Upon notifying the driver, compliance responsibility transfers to the Driver.
• Owner-Operators: Upon notification (by email or viewed account), compliance responsibility rests with the Owner-Operator (driver), who must report for testing immediately.

Selection Period Compliance Requirements

DOT requires Employers to either notify selected drivers of their random selection or properly deactivate the drivers during the active selection period.  Employers must allow sufficient time to notify any re-selected drivers and obtain completed test results before the selection period ends.

• If a driver is deactivated after the selection period has ended, DOT does not allow a re-selection to be issued.  In these situations, the employer remains out of compliance because the original random selection was not completed within the required testing period.

DOT Policy for Incomplete Random Selections

Employers, owner-operators, and their Designated Employer Representative (DER) are responsible for ensuring that all selected drivers report for and complete required random tests immediately after notification in accordance with 49 CFR Part 382.  Failure to complete required random testing selections is considered non-compliance with DOT regulations.

• Violation: Non-Compliance with Random Selections
• Civil Penalties: Up to $10,000 per violation
• Regulation: 49 CFR §382.305
• Express Labs Policy: Removal from the consortium for incomplete selections

Compliance Impact of Incomplete Selections

Incomplete random selections negatively impact Express Labs ability to maintain compliance for all 10,000+ member companies.  When selections are not completed, the consortium risks falling below these required testing rates, putting Express Labs and all member companies at risk of non-compliance.

Under FMCSA regulations, Express Labs must ensure the required percentage of drivers tested each year.  DOT requires random drug and alcohol testing programs to meet minimum annual testing rates:

• 50% of drivers tested for drugs each year
• 10% of drivers tested for alcohol each year
• 2025 MIS Report - View Report

Express Labs FMCSA Random Drug & Alcohol Consortium
Random Testing | Updated 2026