Random Drug & Alcohol Testing

Stay Compliant with Unannounced Random Testing

Random drug and alcohol testing is the backbone of a DOT-compliant program and an area where employers can easily fall out of compliance. Selections must be unannounced, spread reasonably throughout the year, and generated using a scientifically valid method.

Through the goMDnow DOT Random Testing Consortium, our C/TPA team conducts random selections, notifies employers and drivers, coordinates testing at certified collection sites, and maintains the documentation FMCSA expects during audits and new-entrant safety reviews.

When is random testing required?

• DOT-regulated employers with CDL drivers operating under FMCSA authority
• Owner-operators who cannot self-administer random testing and must join a consortium under 49 CFR Part 40
• Employers subject to other DOT agencies, including FTA, FAA, PHMSA, FRA, and USCG
• Non-DOT employers whose written drug-free workplace policy includes random testing
• Client contracts or insurance requirements that mandate an active random program

DOT and Non-DOT Random Testing

goMDnow supports both DOT and non-DOT random testing. DOT random testing follows federal rules under 49 CFR Part 40 and Part 382, including annual minimum testing rates set by FMCSA, computer-based random selection, and reporting obligations for violations. Every CDL driver must be enrolled in a compliant random pool; for owner-operators, that means a consortium.

Non-DOT random programs follow the employer's written drug-free workplace policy and applicable state law, so mixed fleets can manage regulated drivers and non-regulated employees through one provider.

How the process works

1. Enroll in the goMDnow random testing consortium.
2. Drivers enter the pool after a negative pre-employment test.
3. Computer-based random selections run throughout the year at FMCSA-required rates.
4. You and the selected driver are notified promptly by email and text.
5. The selected driver completes testing at a nearby certified collection site, and results are delivered securely after laboratory processing.

Why employers choose goMDnow

One provider runs the draws, handles notifications, coordinates certified testing locations, and keeps the records, reducing the administrative burden on your office. When selected, a driver must proceed to the collection site promptly; under the goMDnow random testing policy, testing is completed no later than the next business day.