The Department of Transportation is a federal agency with a mandate to ensure that professional transportation in the USA is done in a safe, regulated way. One of the ways they oversee safety in the logistics industry is through mandatory drug testing for applicants and, periodically, for working drivers and other key personnel in the industry. Drug testing is an important activity, and it requires specialized training for people thinking of entering into this career.
The Drug Testing Mandate
Unlike other Americans, professional drivers don’t just get into a vehicle for a commute to and from work. For several hours of the day, the vehicle they are in is their workplace, and as a result, they are at higher risk from negligence, boredom, and even just more exposure to accidents from others, because they’re on the road much longer than other people.
Situational awareness and sobriety are key factors in the safe operation of vehicles, especially large ones like trucks and buses. Larger vehicles can, when they get into accidents, cause much more damage due to their mass and speed. The DOT, realizing this, has made it a federal law that extra steps to ensure sobriety are monitored in professional licensed drivers, and this is where drug tests, usually in the form of urine sample collection, come into the picture.
Get In The Practice
People that administer DOT drug tests must be trained, educated, and experienced. This isn’t just about learning the theory, or the regulations, although this is important. Like learning to drive itself, some things can only be understood or appreciated when people perform the actions themselves.
Mock tests are one way to get a feel for using the equipment and practicing the proper techniques. DOT drug testing has an emphasis on two things; safety and security. Safety training is good for preventing infection, contamination, and protecting the privacy and rights of people being tested. Security, however, is essential for ensuring the collection process has not been compromised. Unfortunately, while most people tested are honest and comply with all regulatory collection requests, some will attempt to cheat the system to prevent a positive result from emerging. Practicing allows more familiarity with the equipment, but also gives people a chance to engage in best practices for securing a collection site, and eliminating the chances of cheating through proper observation of safety and security guidelines.
Proper Education
Because the DOT and other agencies make drug testing a legal requirement, there is always going to be a need for people who can reliably conduct these tests in compliance with agency requirements. If you’re interested in becoming a crucial member of this testing process, licensed training is available.
With the right access, DOT training and mocks are available to people interested in not just learning the regulations, but getting the practice with actual equipment. Fully licensed training courses are available that include mocks so that people can get a feel for the tools available, and get comfortable conducting practice tests.