Tow truck operators and vehicle storage facility operators are highly regulated in Texas and those regulations’ include enrollment into an approved drug testing consortium. Tow truck operators must have a comprehensive drug and alcohol testing program similar to that of a DOT – FMCSA drug and alcohol testing program. The drug testing consortium utilized must be on an approved drug testing consortium list maintained by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
The authority for these requirements is the Texas Towing Act and the Texas Vehicle Storage Facility Act; Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 2308 and Chapter 2303; Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 60. Tow truck operators must be a member of a random testing consortium or develop their own drug testing policy. If using their own policy, a tow truck license will not be approved until the drug testing policy is approved. It is much easier to use a drug testing vendor like National Drug Screening who is on the TDLR Approved Consortium List.
All tow truck operators are required to take a drug and alcohol test for the presence of the following substances: marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, phencyclidine (PCP), opiates and alcohol. The testing must follow HHS-SAMHSA guidelines with qualified specimen collectors, SAMHSA certified laboratories and review/verification by a medical review officer (MRO).
Tow truck operators or vehicle storage facility (VSF) operators must be aware that a confirmed and verified positive drug and/or alcohol test will cause their removal from a towing operation and/or VSF duties and they may be subject to disciplinary action up to termination. Positive drug and/or alcohol screen test results must be made available for review by the medical review officer (MRO), the company, and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) in connection with determining whether an employee violated the drug and/or alcohol testing policies established by 16 Texas Administrative Code, Chapters 85 and 86 (the Rules). These employees agree that TDLR may use verified positive test results in an administrative hearing to enforce an alleged violation of the rules.
The testing requirements for the TDLR required drug testing are as follows:
- Pre-employment: All applicants who have received a conditional offer of employment must take a drug test before receiving a final offer of employment.
- Annual: All employees must complete at least one scheduled drug test every 12 months, beginning with the date of their initial license or renewal.
- Random Testing: In addition to annual testing, employees are subject to random urine drug testing. At least 25 percent of the total number of employees must be tested at random every year.
It is important to ask your drug testing provider if they are providing all of the compliance provisions of the TDLR required drug testing program. Many just provide the consortium testing but there are other requirements:
- Comprehensive drug free workplace policy
- Use of a laboratory that is certified and monitored by the Federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
- Distribution of Information to Employees
- Specific Drug Testing Consent Form
- Specific Collection Procedures
The TDLR provides a model policy that will apply to all towing operators, vehicle storage facility (VSF) employees, and job applicants, with the following exceptions:
- Towing operators subject to random drug testing under Title 49, Code of Federal Regulation, Part 40 who have been randomly tested in the 12-month reporting period are exempt from the annual test requirement, provided that the towing operator’s tested negative and the negative test results are submitted to and verified by the MRO.
- Towing operators holding a valid Towing Operator License issued by the department who are tested for drugs in accordance with 16 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 85.
The TDLR Approved Consortium List as of March 2016 is provided below:
|
1st Care Medical Testing |
ATTN Dr. Hank Miller, 5790 West Hwy 287, Midlothian, TX 76065 |
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A & C Drug and Alcohol Screen |
STE 11, 126 PARK, PHARR, TX 78577 |
|
Absolute Drug & Alchol Testing, LLC |
2508 Highway 59 Bypass, Cleveland, TX 77327 |
|
Accutrace |
5612 SW Green Oaks Blvd, Suite D, Arlington, TX 76017 |
|
Active Drug Screening |
1520 Dumas Drive, Amarillo, TX 79107 |
|
Advanced Collateral Recovery LLC |
no address on file |
|
Advantage Drug Testing |
Ste 4, 3350 McFaddin St., Beaumont, TX 77706 |
|
Allied Compliance Services, Inc |
2827 74th Street, LUBBOCK, TX 79423 |
|
Alvarado Chiropractic Health & Wellness |
805 E Hwy 67, Alvarado, TX 76009 |
|
America’s Coast to Coast Drug Testing(ACCDT) |
7501 Lockheed Ste D, El Paso, TX 79925 |
|
American Alliance Drug Testing (AADT) |
326 N Euclid Avenue, Upland, CA 91786-6031 |
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Any Time Analysis |
1507 S College Ave, Bryan, TX 77801 |
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Anytime Mobile Testing and Analysis |
Suite 213, 16422 Stuebner-Airline, Spring, TX 77379 |
|
Austin Drug Test |
Attn Joseph H Lones III, DC, 10102 North Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78753 |
|
Austin Mobile Drug Testing |
SUITE H, 402 WEST PALM VALLEY BLVD, ROUND ROCK, TX 78664 |
|
Brown Chiropractic and DOT Physicals |
746 Elm St., Graham, TX 76450 |
|
CDT Services |
324 Bliss, Dumas, TX 79029 |
|
Chem Chek, Inc. |
Ste 102, 1701 N Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75081 |
|
cmci |
P O BOX 1000, ATTN STEVE NICKELL, GRAIN VALLEY, MO 64029 |
|
CMI |
6704 Guada Coma, Schertz, TX 78154 |
|
Compliance Consortium Corporation |
PO BOX 932, Belton, TX 76513-0932 |
|
Compliance Safety Systems |
99 Regency Pkwy Ste. 313, Mansfield, TX 76063 |
|
Compliance Solutions |
101 N Main St, Suite 100, Jacksboro, TX 76458 |
|
CRS Diagnostic Services, LLC. |
ATTN: Shawn Shupe, |
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Driver Compliance |
205 N. Temple Drive, Diboll, TX 75941 |
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Driving Safety Services |
110 Merchant Street, El Campo, TX 77437 |
|
Drug and Alcohol Testing Compliance Services |
450 E Loop 281, Ste C-2, Longview, TX 75605 |
|
Drug Screen Compliance & Consortium of the Southwest and Lou’s Clinical Lab |
706 N Adams, Odessa, TX 79761 |
|
Drugcheck, LLC |
2907A West Oak Street, Palestine, TX 75801 |
|
East Texas Drug Testing |
1302 South Medford Drive, POBOX 151453, Lufkin, TX 75915-1453 |
|
East Texas Testing |
Suite C, 1000 E Palestine Ave, Palestine, TX 75801 |
|
FleetScreen |
SUITE 480, 6000 WESTERN PLACE, FORT WORTH, TX 76107 |
|
Foley Services, Inc |
655 Winding Brook Drive, Glastonbury, CT 06033 |
|
Houston Medical Testing Services, Inc. (HMTS) |
2646 So Loop West, Ste. 550, , Houston, TX 77054 |
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Independent Testing Services of East Texas |
5021 Justin Street, Suite C, Nacogdoches, TX 75965 |
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Infinity Drug & Alcohol Screening |
922 W Nolana Loop, Suite D, Pharr, TX 78577 |
|
Island Health Center, P.A. |
4623 Fort Crockett Blvd., Galveston, TX 77551 |
|
Karma Compliance Inc. |
7412 82nd street suite D., Lubbock, TX 79424 |
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Melody’s Southwest Consortium |
PO BOX 61992, San Angelo, TX 76906 |
|
Mobile Drug Testing |
7191 Bagby Ave, %Aimee Hoffman, Waco, TX 76712 |
|
Tom Fulmer, 2101 Waverly Place Suite 200D, Melbourne, FL 32901 – 866-843-4545 |
|
|
NATIONWIDE TESTING ASSOCIATION |
772 N BROAD ST, MOORESVILLE, NC 28115 |
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Nationwide Testing Systems |
835 West 19th Street, Houston, TX 77008 |
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New Era Drug Testing |
432 W. Broadway, Glendale, CA 91204 |
|
Occupational Healthcare |
610 S Main Street, Highlands, TX 77562 |
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Onsite Testing Solutions |
Po Box 66, Houston, TX 77001 |
|
P.R.I.M.E. Services, Inc |
3400 Olsen Blvd, Amarillo, TX 79109 |
|
Panhandle Employers Services, Inc. |
881 Casino Rd, Nocona, TX 76255 |
|
PRECISION DRUG TESTING CONSORTIUM |
305 SOUTH FIFTH STREET, CROCKETT, TX 75835 |
|
Southeast Texas Drug Screening |
no address on file |
|
STAT Labs, Inc. |
9235 Hwy 146, Ste 4, Baytown, TX 77520 |
|
STATEWIDE TOWING AND STORAGE CONSORTIUM |
SUITE 550, 2646 SOUTH LOOP WEST, HOUSTON, TX 77054 |
|
Texas Alcohol & Drug Testing Service, Inc.(TADTS) |
16903 Red Oak Dr., Ste 130, Houston, TX 77090 |
|
Texas Towing Operators Consortium |
Suite 189, 654 N Sam Houston Pkwy E, Houston, TX 77060 |
|
Texas Vehicle Storage Consortium |
Suite 189, 654 N Sam Houston Pkwy E, Houston, TX 77060 |
|
Thumbs Up Compliance, LLC |
5 Meadowbrook, Suite C, Temple, TX 76502 |
|
Travelers Medical Center |
Suite A202, 9708 South Padre Island Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78418 |
|
US Drug Test Centers |
505 E. Windmill Ln Ste 1C #125, Las Vegas, NV 89123 |
|
USA Mobile Drug Testing of Dallas |
Michael Rannigan, 2921 Brokenspoke Lane, Rockwall, TX 75087 |
|
USA Mobile Drug Testing of Houston North |
Tona Trondsen, 1415 South Voss ste 110 520, Houston, TX 77057 |
|
USA Mobile Drug Testing of SE Texas |
Aaron Dugas, po box 418, Bronson, TX 75930 |
|
Workplace Compliance, Inc. |
no address on file |
