Federal Employment Law Articles

Federal Gov't - DOT

Articles Discussing The Department Of Transportation.

For Law Firms

Get your firm featured on ELINFONET

We feature your alerts & events and send the clicks straight to your site.

Become an affiliate

DOT Random Drug and Alcohol Testing Rates for 2026

Jackson Lewis P.C.·

The Department of Transportation’s operating agencies have announced their random drug and alcohol testing rates for 2026. The rates are the same as 2025, except that the FRA Mechanical annual random alcohol testing rate has been decreased to 10%. Agency 2026 Random Drug Testing Rate 2026 Random Alc

DOT Removes Racial + Ethnic ‘Social Disadvantage’ Presumption from Disadvantaged Business and Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Programs

Jackson Lewis P.C.·

TakeawaysDepartment of Transportation issues interim final rule removing presumption of social and economic disadvantage for women and designated minorities from two federal programs.The new rule is immediately effective, without a notice and comment period.Recipients of federal funds must not inclu

Enforcing English Proficiency: Employers of Commercial Drivers Face New FMCSA Guidance

Jackson Lewis P.C.·

TakeawaysDOT inspectors will enforce new guidance for English language proficiency among commercial motor vehicle drivers beginning 06.25.25.Drivers who do not speak and understand English sufficiently will be placed out-of-service. Planning and thoughtful, timely communication with your drivers is

U.S. Department of Transportation Adopts Oral Fluid Testing for Regulated Drug and Alcohol Programs

Littler·

New DOT regulations cover oral fluids specimen testing for workplace drug and alcohol testing programs. The regulations affect drug and alcohol testing programs covering an estimated eight million transportation workers.

U.S. Department of Transportation Approves Oral Fluid Testing for Drug Testing

Ogletree Deakins·

On May 2, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) published a final rule amending its regulated industry drug testing program to allow for oral fluid testing.

U.S. DOT Issues Warning Regarding Use Of CBD Products By DOT-Regulated Employees

Jackson Lewis P.C.·

The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy Compliance published a notice on February 18, 2020 concerning the use of hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) products by safety-sensitive employees regulated by DOT’s agencies (including the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal M

FMCSA Raises Random Drug Testing Rate to 50% For 2020

Jackson Lewis P.C.·

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced on December 27, 2019 that beginning on January 1, 2020, the minimum annual percentage rate for random drug testing is 50% of the average number of driver positions. The minimum annual percentage rate for ra

FMCSA-Regulated Employers Take Note: Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Implementation Quickly Approaching

Littler·

In 2012, Congress passed and President Obama signed the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act,” a transportation reauthorization bill referred to as “MAP-21.” That law directed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to create a means of identifying and tracking commerci

FMCSA Clearinghouse Opened, Transportation Department Announces

Jackson Lewis P.C.·

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Clearinghouse registration, which is the electronic database that will contain information about commercial motor vehicle drivers’ drug and alcohol program violations, is open, the agency has announced.

FMCSA Clearinghouse Registration Is Now Open; Clearinghouse Goes Live on January 6, 2020

Jackson Lewis P.C.·

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced on October 1, 2019 that Clearinghouse registration is now open. The FMCSA Clearinghouse is an electronic database that will contain information about commercial motor vehicle drivers’ drug and alcohol progr

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Agency Proposes Changes to Hours of Service Rules for Truck Drivers

Jackson Lewis P.C.·

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on changes to the hours of service (HOS) rules.

FMCSA Clearinghouse Rules Take Effect On January 6, 2020: Are You Ready?

Jackson Lewis P.C.·

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Clearinghouse will become operational on January 6, 2020, and FMCSA-regulated employers must be ready to comply with the Clearinghouse requirements on that date. The FMCSA Clearinghouse is an electronic database th

End of the Year Updates from the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration

FordHarrison·

Executive Summary: The Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a flurry of announcements to close out 2017. In addition to recapping several previous publications, the FAA released a new Advisory Circular on its voluntary disclosure reporting program.

DOT Tackles the Opioid Crisis: Agency Issues Guidance on Regulations Adding Semi-Synthetic Opioids to Testing Panel

Littler·

Effective January 1, 2018, employers with employees subject to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s drug-testing regulations will face new and broader testing obligations based on a Final Rule issued in November 2017.1 This month, in various web-based guidance, DOT clarified what changes, if any,

PHMSA Raises Random Drug Testing Rate to 50% for 2018

Jackson Lewis P.C.·

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration announced December 8, 2017 that during calendar year 2018, the minimum random drug testing rate will be increased to 50%.

U.S. Department of Transportation Publishes Guidance For Updating Drug and Alcohol Testing Policies

Jackson Lewis P.C.·

The drug testing panel utilized by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s operating agencies will change on January 1, 2018. (Click here to read our blog post on that change). DOT published guidance on December 1, 2017 to assist employers with regard to updating their drug and alcohol testing polic

Department of Transportation Adds Four New Drugs to Testing Panel

FordHarrison·

Executive Summary: On November 13, 2017, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that it is amending its drug-testing program to require testing for synthetic opioids. The new DOT regulations now harmonize with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Mandatory Guidelines for Feder

Transportation Department Expands Drug Testing Panel to Include Certain ‘Semi-Synthetic’ Opioids

Jackson Lewis P.C.·

Employers regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) should revise their drug and alcohol testing policies to conform to new DOT regulations that added four “semi-synthetic” opioid drugs to the DOT drug testing panel. The new regulations go into effect on January 1, 2018.

FMCSA Expands Its Drug Testing Panel Effective January 1, 2018

Jackson Lewis P.C.·

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced in a rule to be published in the Federal Register on November 13, 2017, that it will expand its drug testing panel to include four synthetic opioid drugs: hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone and oxymorpho

DOT Creates CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, Imposing Employer Reporting and Query Obligations

Littler·

On December 2, 2016, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a final rule establishing a new “Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.” The Clearinghouse will provide a central database identifying violations of DOT’s drug and alcohol testing program by drivers who operate