Reference

Drug Testing Glossary

Plain-English definitions for the terms you'll encounter in DOT drug and alcohol testing — from CCF to SAP and everything in between.

A B C D E F M O P R S T

A

Aliquot
A measured portion of a specimen used for testing. In a split specimen collection, the primary specimen (Bottle A) is tested first; the split specimen (Bottle B) is held in reserve and only tested if the donor requests a retest.
ASD — Alcohol Screening Device
Under §40.3 an ASD is a breath or saliva device, other than an EBT, approved by NHTSA and listed on ODAPC’s “Approved Screening Devices to Measure Alcohol in Bodily Fluids” page — so it is not a breath-only category. An ASD may be used for screening only. Confirmation is a separate step: §40.3 defines an alcohol confirmation test as one using an EBT, following a screening result of 0.02 or greater. An ASD can never be used for the confirmation test.
ATF — Alcohol Testing Form
The federal form used to document a DOT breath alcohol test. The ATF captures donor identity, reason for test, screening result, confirmation result (if applicable), and signatures from both the BAT and the donor.

B

BAT — Breath Alcohol Technician
A trained individual qualified to conduct DOT breath alcohol screening and confirmation tests. Under §40.3 a BAT operates an EBT; a BAT may also conduct an ASD screening test where proficient on that device. Confirmation tests are always run on an EBT. BATs must complete §40.213 qualification training and pass a proficiency demonstration — seven consecutive error-free mock tests — before conducting tests.
Bottle A / Bottle B
The two sealed specimen containers in a DOT split specimen collection. Bottle A (primary) receives at least 30 mL and is sent to the lab for testing. Bottle B (split) receives the remainder and is held in reserve. If the donor requests a retest, Bottle B is sent to a second HHS-certified lab.

C

CCF — Chain of Custody Form
The Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form, used in paper or approved electronic form, documenting a DOT drug collection. The paper version has five copies — the employee gets Copy 5, the MRO gets Copy 2, the lab gets Copy 1, the DER gets Copy 4, and the collector keeps Copy 3 for at least 30 days (§40.79(a)). The CCF tracks the specimen from the moment of collection through laboratory testing and MRO review. Each copy is distributed to a specific party: employer, MRO, lab, collector, and donor.
CLIA — Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments
Federal regulations (42 CFR Part 493) that govern laboratory testing on human specimens for clinical purposes. DOT collectors who collect and ship to a certified lab are not subject to CLIA. Onsite instant testing only triggers CLIA when using FDA-cleared / CLIA-Waived devices for clinical purposes — FUO (Forensic Use Only) devices used for workplace testing are exempt.
Collector
A trained individual qualified to collect urine specimens for DOT drug testing. Collectors must complete required training and pass a proficiency demonstration per 49 CFR Part 40.33 before conducting collections.
Correctable Flaw
A specific, listed defect under §40.203 that cancels the test only if it is not corrected. The term is not a general label for any fixable paperwork problem. The §40.203 list is: the collector’s signature omitted from the certification statement on the CCF; the employee’s signature omitted from the certification statement where the refusal to sign was not noted in Remarks; the certifying scientist’s signature omitted on a non-negative laboratory copy; and use of a non-Federal form or an expired Federal form. Note what is not on the list: the absence of both the printed collector name and the collector signature is a fatal flaw under §40.199(b)(3), not a correctable one.

D

DER — Designated Employer Representative
The person at a company authorized to receive drug and alcohol test results and take immediate action if needed (e.g., removing a safety-sensitive employee from duty). Collectors should contact the DER when a refusal, shy bladder, or other problem scenario occurs.
Direct Observation Collection
A collection procedure where the collector (or same-sex observer) watches the donor urinate directly into the collection container. Required in the situations listed at §40.67 — including return-to-duty and follow-up drug tests (§40.67(b), (c)(5)). An out-of-range temperature or an apparently tampered-with specimen runs through §40.65 instead: it requires an immediate second collection that is either directly observed urine or oral fluid, with §40.65(d) assigning the choice of method to the employer’s standing order or, failing that, to the DER. Because DOT oral fluid testing is not yet operationally available, directly observed urine is the method that results in practice today — but the rule itself offers both. A laboratory result does not trigger observation directly: an invalid result goes to the MRO, who may cancel it where there is an acceptable medical explanation, and only certain invalid outcomes lead to an observed recollection (§40.159). A reported substitution likewise runs through the MRO and the refusal process rather than being a collector trigger.
DOT 5-Panel
The five drug classes tested on all DOT urine drug tests: marijuana (THC), cocaine, opioids, amphetamines/methamphetamines, and phencyclidine (PCP). No additional substances may be added to a DOT test panel.

E

EBT — Evidential Breath Testing Device
A DOT-approved breath testing instrument capable of producing a printed result record. Required for all DOT confirmation breath alcohol tests. EBT devices must appear on the NHTSA Conforming Products List and be regularly calibrated to remain approved for use.

F

Fatal Flaw
A defect that always causes the MRO to cancel a drug test. The list in §40.199(b) is exclusive: no CCF; no specimen submitted with the CCF; no printed collector name and no collector signature; two separate collections on one CCF; the specimen ID numbers on the bottle and the CCF do not match; the bottle seal is broken or shows evidence of tampering (and a split cannot be re-designated); insufficient specimen in the primary bottle and the specimens cannot be re-designated; and, for oral fluid, use of an expired device or a missing Step 4 expiration date where the lab confirms the device was expired. Note what is not on the list — failing to verify ID, missing the 4-minute temperature check, and sealing outside the donor's presence are procedural errors under §40.209, not fatal flaws, and do not by themselves cancel a test. Compare correctable flaw (§40.203).
FMCSA — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The DOT agency that regulates commercial truck and bus drivers. FMCSA requires DOT drug and alcohol testing for those who operate a commercial motor vehicle in commerce in any State and are subject to the CDL requirements of 49 CFR part 383 (§382.103(a)). Note the wording: it is not limited to interstate commerce, and the trigger is operating a CMV that requires a CDL rather than merely holding one.
Follow-Up Testing
Unannounced testing required after a safety-sensitive employee completes the return-to-duty process following a positive or refused DOT drug/alcohol test. Follow-up tests are directed by the SAP and must include at least 6 unannounced tests in the first 12 months.

M

MRO — Medical Review Officer
A licensed physician responsible for receiving, reviewing, and interpreting all DOT drug test results reported by the laboratory. The MRO contacts donors directly when a non-negative result is reported, gives donors the opportunity to provide a legitimate medical explanation, and makes the final determination on the test result before reporting to the employer.

O

Observed Collection
See Direct Observation Collection. The terms are used interchangeably. In an observed collection, the collector or a trained same-sex observer directly watches the urine specimen leave the donor's body and enter the collection container.

P

Part 40 (49 CFR Part 40)
The federal regulation that establishes all procedures for DOT workplace drug and alcohol testing programs. Part 40 covers collection procedures, laboratory testing, MRO review, SAP evaluation, and return-to-duty requirements. It governs DOT drug testing across the six DOT programs, and DOT alcohol testing for the five programs whose alcohol rules incorporate Part 40. Coast Guard marine-employer alcohol testing follows its separate maritime rules.
PCC — Point-of-Care Collection (or Point-of-Care Testing)
Testing performed and read at the collection site rather than sent to a laboratory. Instant urine drug screen cups and rapid test strips are examples. Point-of-care testing is not permitted for DOT-regulated tests, which must be analyzed by an HHS-certified laboratory.

R

Random Testing
Unannounced drug and alcohol testing conducted throughout the year on a scientifically random basis. Safety-sensitive employees must be notified and proceed immediately to the collection site. Employers must meet DOT minimum random testing rates, which vary by agency (e.g., FMCSA requires 50% for drugs, 10% for alcohol annually).
Refusal to Test
Conduct listed in §40.191(a) for drug tests or §40.261(a) for alcohol tests — including failing to appear, leaving the testing site before the process is complete, failing to provide a specimen, failing to cooperate with any part of the process, or admitting adulteration or substitution to the collector or MRO. Two cautions. First, declining to sign the CCF is not on the drug list; under §40.79(a)(1) the collector notes it in Remarks and completes the collection. Refusing to sign the certification at Step 2 of the ATF is a refusal, but that is the alcohol form (§40.261(a)(6)). Second, the collector does not make the call — the collector documents the conduct and notifies the DER, and the employer has the non-delegable duty to decide whether a refusal occurred (§40.191(d)(1), §40.355(i)). A refusal and a verified positive are distinct outcomes that both count as violations carrying removal from safety-sensitive duty and the SAP process under DOT agency rules.

S

SAMHSA — Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The federal agency that certifies laboratories to conduct DOT urine drug testing. All DOT urine specimens must be sent to an HHS/SAMHSA-certified laboratory. SAMHSA-certified labs follow strict chain of custody, testing, and reporting standards.
SAP — Substance Abuse Professional
A licensed clinical professional who evaluates employees who have violated DOT drug and alcohol regulations. The SAP evaluates the employee, recommends education and/or treatment, and determines whether the employee has successfully complied with that recommendation (§40.305). The SAP then prescribes the number, frequency and type of follow-up tests (§40.307). The employer — not the SAP — decides whether to return the employee to safety-sensitive duty and sets the actual unannounced follow-up dates. The SAP prescribes a follow-up testing plan (§40.307(a)) — use “plan,” not “schedule,” because §40.307(d)(3) reserves the actual dates to the employer.
Shy Bladder
A situation where a donor is unable to provide a sufficient urine specimen (minimum 45 mL) at the time of collection. The collector must follow a specific shy bladder protocol — offering water, keeping the donor on-site, and allowing up to 3 hours total (§40.193). If no sufficient specimen is provided, the collector documents and notifies the DER — the collector does not cancel the test. The required medical evaluation and the MRO then determine whether it is a refusal (§40.193(d)(2)) or a cancelled test.
Split Specimen
All DOT urine collections use a split specimen kit. The primary specimen (Bottle A) is sent for testing; the split specimen (Bottle B) is sealed and held. If the donor's Bottle A result is positive, adulterated, or substituted, the donor may request that Bottle B be sent to a second HHS-certified lab for independent testing.
STT — Screening Test Technician
A trained individual qualified to conduct DOT breath alcohol screening tests using an approved ASD. Unlike a BAT, an STT cannot conduct confirmation tests. If a screening result is 0.02 or above, a BAT conducts the confirmation test after a minimum 15-minute wait measured from completion of the screening test (§40.251(a)(1)), and should begin it within 30 minutes of that completion. The 30 minutes is not a hard legal cut-off: §40.251(e) requires the BAT to begin the confirmation test even if more than 30 minutes have passed, noting the elapsed time and the reason on the Remarks line (§40.251(f)). §40.251(g) is explicit that going past 30 minutes does not invalidate the screening or confirmation test, though it may be a regulatory violation subject to agency sanction.

T

TPA — Third Party Administrator
A company or individual that provides drug and alcohol testing program management services to employers — including scheduling collections, managing random pools, coordinating MRO services, and maintaining compliance records. TPAs act on behalf of employers but cannot make employment decisions. Under DOT regulations, employers remain ultimately responsible for their testing program even when using a TPA.