Many of you have questions about receiving messages from consulting firms saying that you are required to have your supervisors of CDL drivers trained in Drug and Alcohol Reasonable Suspicion Testing.  The emails are used as “scare” tactics to get you to purchase their supervisor training courses, webinars, etc.  They are correct that your supervisors are required by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), but the good news is that the FMCSA makes this training available to you at NO COST!!!

Let’s look at what the regulations say about training of your supervisors of CDL drivers.

By the way, this applies to all motor carriers INTRA and INTER state.

Who is Subject to the Supervisor Training for Reasonable Suspicion Testing?

CFR 382.603 Training for supervisors

Each employer shall ensure that all persons designated to supervise drivers (CDL) receive at least 60 minutes of training on alcohol misuse and receive at least an additional 60 minutes of training on controlled substances use. The training will be used by the supervisors to determine whether reasonable suspicion exists to require a driver to undergo testing under §382.307. The training shall include the physical, behavioral, speech, and performance indicators of probable alcohol misuse and use of controlled substances. Recurrent training for supervisory personnel is not required.

So Where Can I Get the Training?

The FMCSA has the supervisor training available in video format that can be downloaded from their website for FREE!

Click Here to access the Home page, and Click Here for the videos.

It will take a while to download due to the length of the video and depending on the quality you choose.

You can also check with your D&A Third Party Administrator to see if they provide the training.

Are There any Training Requirements in the Regulations Specific to Drivers?

Outside of the Hazardous Materials Training requirements for drivers, the following regulation applies to all CDL drivers:

• Required Entry Level Training CFR part 380(e)
• Entry level driver is a driver with less than one year of experience operating a CMV with a CDL in INTERstate commerce
• Entry level driver training must include instruction addressing the following four areas:
• Driver Qualifications
• Hours of Service
• Driver Wellness
• Whistleblower Protection

*Documentation of the training shall be kept in DQ file for term of employment and 1 year thereafter.

NEW….Final Rule for Entry Level Driver Training

Final rule was published in December 2016.

Final rule will replace the above rule and establishes minimum training standards for INTERstate and INTRAstate drivers applying for their initial CDL, upgrading their current CDL, or obtaining a hazardous materials, passenger, or school bus endorsement for the first time.

The prescribed training includes both theory (knowledge) and behind-the-wheel (range and public road) instruction.

This rule goes into effect February 7, 2020.