Every covered employer names a Designated Employer Representative: an employee of the employer who receives results, removes people from safety-sensitive duty when the rule requires it, and answers for the program (49 CFR 40.3). This center collects what a DER reaches for most: the difference between DOT and non-DOT authority, how each testing scenario works, what the supervisor's role is, and what the paperwork trail should look like. Each guide is written in plain English first, with the specific regulation cited so you can check the source.
The short version
- Test-type guides: pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, return-to-duty, and follow-up
- The DER's role at each step, from ordering a test to receiving a verified result
- Program documentation: policies, selection records, custody forms, training certificates, and how long each is kept
- Where DOT authority ends and company policy begins