The FMCSA Clearinghouse is the federal database of CDL driver drug and alcohol program violations, and employers carry specific obligations inside it: a full query, with the driver's specific consent, before a driver first performs a safety-sensitive function; a query on every driver at least once a year; and accurate reporting within three business days when a violation occurs (49 CFR 382.701, 382.705). Owner-operators must designate a C/TPA to act in the Clearinghouse on their behalf (382.705(b)(6)). PSI serves as that designated C/TPA and runs the query and reporting work for fleets of every size, built so a missed query is caught before it becomes the finding that opens an audit.
When this is the program
- An owner-operator who must name a C/TPA to stay compliant
- A fleet that cannot show its annual queries were run
- A new hire whose full query needs to happen before the first pre-trip inspection
- A violation that has to be reported, and nobody is sure how
What's included
- C/TPA designation for owner-operators and fleets
- Pre-employment full queries, with the driver's specific consent, before any safety-sensitive function
- Annual queries across the driver roster, tracked so none are missed; a limited query with the driver's consent satisfies the annual requirement, and if it shows a record exists, a full query within 24 hours
- Violation and return-to-duty reporting entered correctly and on time
- Registration help for employers and drivers new to the system
- The previous-employer inquiry under 49 CFR 40.25 handled alongside: the Clearinghouse satisfies it for FMCSA-regulated previous employers, and a written inquiry still goes to previous employers under other DOT agencies
How it works with PSI
- The queries run on schedule without your office having to remember them
- Reporting is entered by people who handle it routinely
- Questions get answered by a person who can look at your actual account
Common questions
Can PSI buy Clearinghouse queries for us?
Under the Clearinghouse's rules, only employers can purchase query plans. As your designated C/TPA, PSI runs the queries and the reporting inside your account, correctly and on schedule, so the obligation is met and documented.