A positive test or a refusal takes you off safety-sensitive work. You can't go back until a SAP evaluates you and you complete the plan. Here is how it goes with me.
- Initial evaluationA distance-based assessment by live video, with real-time audio and picture as Part 40 requires. Appointments run 7 AM to 7 PM, seven days a week, as times are open.
- Your planYou complete the education or treatment the evaluation calls for. I keep your employer's DER informed along the way.
- Follow-up evaluationWhen the plan is done, a second video evaluation determines whether you have complied. That finding is what clears you for your return-to-duty test.
- ReportsSent to your DER within 24 hours once the information is complete, with Clearinghouse reporting where it applies.
SAP evaluations are paid by you or your employer, with no insurance to wait on. Calls are returned within 4 hours, usually sooner. Every call and email with your employer about your case is included.
I see drivers by video anywhere in the United States.
Before you call: have your DER's name and phone number, the date of your test and a phone or computer with a camera.
An evaluation older than 90 days is no longer valid and has to be redone.
Can I do the evaluation from my truck?
Yes, if you can park somewhere private with a steady connection. The video and sound have to be clear enough for a full evaluation.
What happens after the follow-up evaluation?
You take a return-to-duty test. Once you're back at work, you'll have unannounced follow-up tests: at least six in your first 12 months.
My employer let me go. Do I still need a SAP?
Yes. The violation follows you to any DOT employer. Completing the process is how you clear it.