# Drug and alcohol consortium software that proves the pool, the draw and every outcome

![A consortium administrator reviewing a quarterly random selection list against the driver pool at a compliance desk](https://neurobird.com/drugalcohol/drugalcohol-hero.webp)
*The rate describes a pool that no longer exists, which is why it has to be recorded as it was.*

> A drug and alcohol testing consortium is a pooled arrangement, usually run by a third party administrator, that combines drivers from multiple employers so random selections can be drawn across a larger group. Procedures sit under 49 CFR Part 40, random testing requirements for motor carriers under 49 CFR 382.305, and violations are recorded in the FMCSA Clearinghouse. Neurobird holds the pool as it stood on each draw date across 38 employers and 412 drivers.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/drugalcohol/
- Product: Neurobird Drug and Alcohol Testing Consortium Compliance Platform
- Niche: drug and alcohol testing consortium
- Buyer: consortium and third party administrators
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-25

## What Neurobird Drug and Alcohol Testing Consortium does

- Hold the pool as it stood on the day of each draw rather than as it stands today
- Track every selection through to a result or a documented reason it did not happen
- Keep Clearinghouse queries and pre employment testing on the member record
- Produce the rate calculation for a period without rebuilding the pool from memory

## How it works

1. **Freeze the pool at the draw** Membership is recorded as at the draw date, so a later joiner does not quietly change a historic rate.
2. **Follow every selection to an outcome** Tested, refused, no longer employed, each with a reason recorded at the time rather than reconstructed.
3. **Keep the Clearinghouse work on the member** Queries, consents and return to duty steps attach to the driver they concern.

## From the source material

> Covered employees, and only covered employees, are to be in an employer 's random testing pool, and all covered drivers must be in the random pool.

Source: 49 CFR 382.305, random testing, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/382.305

## Industry context

- **Part 40** The regulation governing transportation workplace drug and alcohol testing procedures, from collection through laboratory handling to result reporting. (source: 49 CFR Part 40, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/part-40)
- **382.305** The section setting random testing requirements for motor carrier employers, including how selections must be made and spread across the year. (source: 49 CFR 382.305, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/382.305)
- **1 database** The FMCSA Clearinghouse holds violation and return to duty information, and an unresolved record prohibits safety sensitive work. (source: FMCSA Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/)
- **1 office** DOT maintains a single office of drug and alcohol policy and compliance issuing guidance across all transportation modes. (source: DOT ODAPC, https://www.transportation.gov/odapc)
- **1 guideline** SAMHSA mandatory guidelines underpin laboratory certification for federal workplace testing, which is why collector and laboratory choice is not a free decision. (source: SAMHSA, https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/drug-free-workplace)

## Pricing

- Small pool: 99 per month
- Administrator: 269 per month
- TPA: 599 per month

## Questions

### What is a drug and alcohol testing consortium?

A consortium, usually run by a third party administrator, pools drivers from multiple employers so that random testing selections can be drawn across a larger group. The testing procedures themselves are set by 49 CFR Part 40, which governs collection, laboratory handling and result reporting for the whole transportation sector.

### How does random selection actually work?

Selections must be drawn from the pool using a scientifically valid method, spread reasonably through the year, and meet the minimum annual rate. 49 CFR 382.305 sets the random testing requirements for motor carriers, and the rate is measured against the average number in the pool.

### What is the Clearinghouse?

The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is the federal database of violations and return to duty information. Employers must query it, and unresolved violations prohibit safety sensitive work, which makes it a gate rather than a report.

### What happens if a selected driver is not tested?

It has to be explained. A missed selection is not neutral, and the reason has to be documented at the time rather than reconstructed when an auditor asks why the rate looks short.

### Does this replace our collection site?

No. Collections and laboratory work stay where they are. What lives here is the administration layer: pool composition by date, draws, outcomes, Clearinghouse queries and rate calculation.

## Sources

- [49 CFR Part 40, transportation workplace testing procedures](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/part-40)
- [FMCSA, Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse](https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/)
- [49 CFR 382.305, random testing](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/382.305)
- [DOT, Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance](https://www.transportation.gov/odapc)
- [SAMHSA, federal workplace drug testing programs](https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/drug-free-workplace)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/