As a CDL holder and owner-operator, after completing Steps 1 through 4 with an SAP, the next step in the Return-to-Duty Process is Step 5: the Return-to-Duty drug and/or alcohol test.

This test cannot be completed independently. If you have a current employer, that employer must arrange the test. If you do not have a current employer, you may designate a Third-Party Administrator (TPA) for the limited purpose of completing the RTD process. Before resuming safety-sensitive duties, you must have a negative Return-to-Duty drug test result and/or an alcohol test result of less than 0.02.

Completing Step 5 does not guarantee reinstatement, since the employer still decides whether to return you to work. For FMCSA drivers, once the negative RTD result is reported to the Clearinghouse, your status changes from prohibited to not prohibited. Your follow-up testing plan must then be administered by your employer once you resume working in a DOT safety-sensitive position.