Why do I have to take multiple DOT exams and UA's

Some companies are having you do your physical and drug screens before you go to orientation. I've done that at two of the companies I worked at.

 

One would think so but most companies want a DOT physical exclusive to them. Drug screens are required for just about any job so you should be used to taking them. Also if you read your cdl manual you will see that by holding a cdl you granted consent to be tested anytime, anywhere.

 

The drug test yes the physical no . if you have a valid long form if they want they can use it . Most don't small and temp company's will use what you have and just do drug test

 

When I started as an un-experienced driver for my current company the first day of orientation they had a DOT doctor there that could administer a DOT physical if your medical card was not current. I should mention that I just graduated a truck driving school like Steve C said so my med card was current, but half of the folks in the orientation were truck school grads and the other half already had driving experience but there med cards were expired.

Day two everyone had to take a DOT pee test as required by the company policy. In less than a year I've been pee tested maybe 4-5 times since the initial pre-hire pee test. After a year I hear you only have to pee once a year for them. I think they try and weed out the bad apples in the first year, after that I guess they assume your clean.

But let's say I decide to switch companies after I log my year with my current company, I would have to start the process of UA's all over again, and my next employer is going to request my UA results from my previous employer.

Also I should mention that twice I was told by my driver manager (DM) to go take a UA with the safety dept on a Friday at 4pm. Well my companies safety dept closes at Friday at 4pm and is not open on weekends, so I had to sit all weekend waiting for Monday morning to go take my UA's. And was told I was not allowed to drive my company truck or leave the company yard over the weekend.

But once I got tired of sitting my truck for two days and called a taxi to take me to a motel for Sunday night, I called the taxi again early Monday morning and got a ride back to the yard before the safety dept opened at 8am.

 

after 12 yrs I can go in a urgent care and do the routine without the lab tech telling me a word.

 

Don't know why you had to test so many times in a year ? maybe the suspected something ? The rule is pre employment then you go in a random pool and if thy pick you go . or a accident or thy suspect like i said . There is no process to start over . And to make you sit over the weekend and all the extra testing makes me think you are not there favorite driver .

 

I really don't think they suspected anything, other than they just suspect new or entry-level drivers. Your right after the initial pre-hire UA you go into a random pool, but my "company" also has it's own UA policy in addition to the DOT regulations. So if I did a pre-hire UA, that's one, after you train for a month and solo they made me UA, so that's two. Then after 3 months, another UA, that's three, let's throw a random UA in there, that's 4, and after 6 months another UA, that's 5. In another month I'll log my year with my company, that includes a safety review and another UA, so in a year that would be 6 UA's.

Also I should mention that I did get layover pay of $50 a day while I sat on the weekends waiting for Monday.

 

OK that makes sense the rule for training program is all these test . Never heard of this ..but i am sure there is a lot of procedures with all these different company's out there that i don't know about . Glad it is nothing personal for you .. seen to many times drivers getting a raw deal for no apparent reason

 

Can you please show me the regulation that says a company can not except a physical and drug testing done by another doctor?