Federal rules are blunt about hiring: a driver must have a verified negative controlled-substances result on file before the first time they perform a safety-sensitive function for you, and the pre-trip inspection counts (49 CFR 382.301(a), 382.107). Pre-employment alcohol testing is optional under 382.301(d); if you elect it, it applies to every covered hire, after a contingent offer. PSI folds those requirements, and the non-DOT screening your company policy calls for, into one hiring workflow. Your candidate is directed to a collection, the specimen moves under chain of custody to an HHS-certified laboratory, the laboratory reports directly to a Medical Review Officer, and the MRO reports the verified result to your designated employer representative. Two duties stay with you, separate from any background product: the full Clearinghouse query with the driver's specific consent (49 CFR 382.701(a)), and the previous-employer drug and alcohol inquiry under 49 CFR 40.25, which the Clearinghouse satisfies only for FMCSA-regulated previous employers. Background verification is available as an add-on for employers who want one vendor for the whole hire.
When this is the program
- A new CDL driver needs a verified negative result before the first pre-trip inspection
- Seasonal or high-volume hiring where candidates need to move quickly
- A safety-sensitive role outside DOT rules, covered by company policy
- An employer pairing testing with background checks for the same hire
What's included
- Pre-employment drug testing for DOT-covered hires, with MRO verification on DOT drug tests, as Part 40 requires
- Pre-employment alcohol testing where your policy elects it, applied to every covered hire after a contingent offer (49 CFR 382.301(d))
- Non-DOT candidate screening that follows your written company policy
- Pre-employment Clearinghouse full queries for CDL hires, with the driver's specific consent, before any safety-sensitive function
- Chain-of-custody collection at our office, a designated site, or your own location
- Available on request, post-offer and FCRA-compliant: background verification covering previous employment, references, motor vehicle abstract, education, credentials, SSN and name verification, criminal history within the limits of the New Jersey Opportunity to Compete Act, and workers' compensation history where the law permits it after an offer
How it works with PSI
- One intake for the hire, and when you add background verification, testing and verification move together through one vendor
- MRO-verified results reach the DER you designate; laboratory results never pass through PSI, and a breath alcohol result of 0.02 or higher goes from our technician directly to your DER (49 CFR 40.355)
- When a result needs review, a person from PSI walks your team through what happens next
Common questions
Does every new hire need a DOT pre-employment test?
Only employees in DOT-covered, safety-sensitive roles, for example CDL drivers under FMCSA rules. Everyone else is tested under your company policy, if your policy calls for it. PSI helps you sort which roles fall where, and runs both kinds of screening in one workflow.
Can testing and a background check run at the same time?
Yes, after a conditional offer. Background verification is an add-on, and when you include it, the collection and the verification work start together so neither one holds up the other.