Episode 124: Protect Your CDL: What Every Driver Should Know About the SAP Program

What exactly is the SAP (Substance Abuse Professional) program, and what does it mean for CDL drivers?

In this episode of the Keep Trucking Personal podcast, Tyler Kivi breaks down the federally required SAP process for drivers who violate DOT drug and alcohol regulations. He explains what can trigger the program, including failed or refused drug and alcohol tests, what happens after a violation is reported to the FMCSA Clearinghouse, and the steps drivers must complete before they can legally return to work.

Tyler walks through the entire return-to-duty process, from the initial SAP evaluation and required education or treatment to the return-to-duty test and the follow-up testing plan that can last for years. He also discusses why many carriers are unable to hire SAP drivers, the role insurance companies play in those decisions, and why protecting your CDL is one of the most important responsibilities a professional driver has.

The conversation also covers alcohol in the truck, the difference between state laws and federal regulations, how prescription medications can complicate drug testing, and why even a single mistake can have long-term consequences for your career.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Key Trucking Personal. I'm Tyler TV, a third generation trucker. My purpose is simple: to make sure the definition of trucking doesn't get lost in the culture this industry is driven for. This podcast is about real stories, the hard lessons, and the standards that built this business long before apps and algorithms. If you believe trucking is more than freight and it's responsibility, you're in the right place. Let's get into it.

SPEAKER_01 0:25

Hey guys, welcome back to Keep Trucking Personal. My name is Tyler and I am your host. Today we're going to talk about a topic that I get asked all the time, and it's do you hire SAP drivers? And I think it's important that we cover that. If you do not know what it is, first of all, to make sure you do not ever enter that. But if you don't know what it is, or maybe you're in this program or it just happened to you, I want to kind of walk through what I know and just talk through it overall. And so, SAP, what is it? How does it work? Can you come back from it? What should drivers know, right? Those are the things. And while we're at it, I also want to talk about something that can put you into the SAP process before you ever realize that it's happening. And that's alcohol and alcohol in the truck. And friends, don't ever put yourself in a situation that could lead up to where there's alcohol in your system and you could find yourself on this program, right? That's one of the things I'm going to refer to TikTok here. I had a driver join in, not a Kiwi Brothers driver. Uh, and he was talking to everybody in there, and he was talking about how he had alcohol in the truck and he was drinking it live, and it was crazy. And everyone was like, What are you doing? And just remember, it can happen to you, it could happen to someone you know. Help educate them that that's not acceptable. You guys are professionals and you can prevent it. And so this episode, though, isn't about just judging anyone, right? Like I know that one spooked us all when we saw this guy doing it and we're like, fix it. But this is about education. And because one bad decision can change your career here, but understanding the rules can help you prevent that from ever happening. And so let's go back to SAP. What is SAP? SAP stands for Substance Abuse Professional. And so if a CDL driver you violates the federal drug and alcohol regulations, you simply cannot go back to work after a few days. You don't just get to go home and recover, uh, kind of like a policy violation. This is a federally mandated process to get you in a return-to-duty status. And so the process begins with a qualified substance abuse professional. Okay. The SAP's job isn't to punish the driver. I know I've discussed what a SAP is, but let's talk real quick what can trigger the SAP process, right? And so it's more than just a failed drug test, but there's a few ways, right? So you can have a positive test on your pre-employment. So you maybe never even worked at this company yet, and you're applying for this job, and you take a pre-employment test and you fail it. You can have alcohol tests that's over the federal limit while on duty. You can also refuse to submit an alcohol test, which could put you into the SAT program. You can also refuse a drug test or a pre-employment test, any sort of test that's mandated federally and required. If you deny that or refuse, you can then automatically be entered into the SAT program. And so this SAP program gets submitted to your clearinghouse. And so if you've changed jobs or you you've messed with that at all, you know what I'm talking about when it comes to your clearinghouse. This is a platform that regulates all of this and approves you back to work or not back to work, but everybody has to report to it. And so when you refuse the the pre-employment test or the the drug test or an alcohol test, they report that to the clearinghouse. And so it can get you caught up really quick when you might not be aware of what you know what the protocols that are there. And so I've seen people or heard people tell their story. And like I said, the pre-employment one, they haven't even started a job and they've had a great career in trucking, maybe, and then this pops off, and now they're in this program, and it's not a program you want to be a part of. But every one of those situations can remove the driver from any safety-sensitive duties until the return to duty process is done, and that's where you enter the SAP program. Okay. And so you've had this test, you've talked to your MRO, your medical review officer. So whether it was a prescription or this or that, they will call you before they call your employer and speak with you personally. And when they do, they like I said, they're gonna ask you for documentation or anything to help prove that it was legitimate. And in some cases, there are plenty of times where medication, I don't know the types, but will trigger something, and then the the employee will send their prescription for whatever that is, and it can be overridden, and then you're not in the SAT program. But if you don't qualify for that, you start this process that can be a very long journey. And so there are several steps that happen here. And so, first, the driver is going to have to find a counselor or substance abuse professional for an evaluation. And typically, from what I've heard, drivers find these near their home. Uh, there's a database, you find this substance abuse professional, and you do your evaluation. Once your evaluation is done, the counselor or the professional will then determine what education or treatment, if appropriate, is required. And this can vary depending on the circumstances, right? These people are professionals and they're meant to read the room and understand and look at all the criteria around it. And so once that's done, the recommendations have to be fulfilled and you have to go for a follow-up evaluation. And then if the SAP, right, this substance abuse professional determines that you, as the driver, have successfully complied, they can authorize the next phase of return to duty process. And that next phase, getting ready for return to duty, is a drug and alcohol test. And so you're gonna go through your review, they're gonna recommend what they want you to do. Once you finish that treatment or classes, whatever it is, then you're gonna take a return to duty test, RTD. And this is step five in the step six process to return. So you get your return to duty test, and once that is negative, then your SAP will write you a recommendation letter, and you will then be able to return to duty, right? Okay, and so it doesn't end there, that's not the end of it, but that can get you back in a truck, and so that's the first phase. Now I cannot tell you how long that will take, every situation is different. I'm not familiar enough to know from experience with talking to drivers what is a common theme. I couldn't tell you that. And so I don't know that. But what happens afterwards is the SAP designs a follow-up testing plan. And so this means additional testing time after returning to work, right? So you've passed the test that give you the RTD return to duty status. Now you're into step six. Step six is when you're at your employer, there's accountability involved that can set from anywhere from day one back to work through five years. Okay, so this is not something you want to jump into. This is not something you want to risk. This could mess your career up. This could mess all of the time that you've put in and invested, mess it up. And like I said, so you're back at work now and you have up to could be up to five years of testing, and they're at random. Sometimes it's 12 tests in the first year, up to it could be continually 12 tests every year if it's an aggravated type case, or it could be 12 tests, six tests, it could be, you know, where it cascades down. But nonetheless, nobody knows that. That SAP, the substance abuse professional, develops that, right? And so that's how you would return to duty and how you get back to a job. Now, the part we don't talk about enough, and why I get asked this so much is because drivers are looking for a place that hires SAP drivers. You have to have somebody willing to take on the risk, the liability. And so before you even get to that, you have to think through all of the lost income, the lost opportunities, the stress on you and your family, the difficulty finding a place to hire, which we'll talk about in a minute, and explaining the situation in all of your future interviews, right? Because this one decision, maybe multiple decisions, who knows what your circumstances are, can follow you for so long. So, friends, I'm telling you this today because I see it happen with so many drivers that you need to take the extra step and make sure that you do not walk into this situation. Prevent it. You can prevent this, you can prevent this. Okay. I know we've talked about it before. Uh, this isn't something I'm speaking of just because it's relative, but I just like to keep reminding. I know people can get complacent, habits can change, but let's talk about alcohol in your truck. Federal regulations, they're very strict around this. And so, as a professional driver, this is not an area where you want to take chances either. This is very sensitive. Even if your intention is to save something for later or transport it for someone else, having alcohol where it shouldn't be can be a very serious problem in the DOT's eyes. Okay, it's not something they play around with. And so my advice is simple here: don't put yourself in a position where there are questions. It's very simple. Do not take the chance, do not take the risk. Protect your CDL, protect your career, protect your family. If you ever find yourself just thinking, it'll probably be okay. I've done this before, I've done this for a couple years, I've done this for many years, who knows? Stop. Stop saying that to yourself. They're dangerous words. If you're listening to this now and there is something in your truck, get rid of it. Trust me, it's not worth your CDL. And side note, I've had the opportunity to speak with so many different drivers on their license, and all of this plays a picture. You would be surprised to not only see how many times we get asked if we hire SAP drivers, but also to see drivers scouring the industry, trying to find a company that will take the risk on them because their license is littered with speeding tickets, it's littered with accidents, careless driving. I mean, it goes on and on and on. So my advice to you again, as professionals, pay attention to it. It matters, it shows up down the road. This stuff is not like uh after three months you forget about it and move on. It's there, it's on your record. You know, people look back two years, three years, five years on some of these major violations. Like if you've had a DUI in a personal vehicle even five years back, it's getting tighter and tighter. The risk, the tolerance is not that high. Nobody wants to take that on. And so that'll lead me to the next step here. When you're in step six of your SAP program, you're ready to go back to work, you will have a challenge finding a place to go to work. And it's very simple. It's not because you're not a good person, it's not because you didn't do the work to get back to it, it's a liability issue. Insurance companies are afraid that if something happens to you, even though you are straight and narrow and you're doing the right thing, that the other side in an acclaim could say that you were an unsafe driver, you were unfit. I mean, the list goes on and on and on. Another situation you do not want to put yourself in. So defend through it. It's so hard to find a job, and it kills me because I see so many drivers asking, and so many drivers that I can't get to know their story. I can't even get to extend the olive branch because it's just a liability. Insurance companies are firm, they stand, they're they dig their heels in and they hold on tight. They do not want to wiggle on it. And so it's so easy to look at every decision and sometimes think it won't happen to me. It's not today, it's tomorrow. Uh, it's just one drink, right? It's just one bad decision. It's just a weekend with the friends out on the lake. Uh, it won't happen to me. And so most people who find themselves in the SAP process probably never expected to be there either. I can probably say that with confidence. And so that's why it's important to think ahead. Protect your career that you've worked hard to build. I had one driver let me know that when it happened to him, it was kind of a fluke deal from what he said. His wife and he shared a medicine, a pill distributor, I guess, or whatever you want to call them, like you'd have in your nightstand. And he said he accidentally took his wife's and then he went for a pre-employment and failed. And there is nothing you can do. You can be the smoothest talker there is, and they're not gonna just take your word for it. They have to follow the guidelines. And he ended up in a program. Now, take that with a grain of salt, right? That's the stories and the situations that we hear. And I try to put stake in that the situation is real. They've gone through, they've talked to SAP instructors and done all this, but still, all it takes is one mishap and you're there. And so that's what the return to duty process looks like just from the outside. So now you can kind of educate yourself if you've never heard of it, or maybe you need to buckle down, something might be tempting you. State laws are different than federal laws, and the federal law supersedes the state. So don't think just because something's legal in your state that it's going to work when you take that test. It doesn't. And so listen, these are stories that I'm being told. You have to work through it, you have the opportunity to prevent this, but know that when it happens, it's going to be a long, bumpy road. And like I said, I just wanted to share on this because I've heard of the situation so often with SAP drivers that you need to just take care of your driving record, take care of your career. And if truck driving is something you love, treat it that way. Take care of it. Okay. And so, once again, if there's one thing I hope you remember from today's episode, it's this your CDL is one of the most valuable things you own. Okay. Protect it. Know the rules and avoid situations that could put it all at risk because you do not want to be in that boat. And if you ever make a mistake, take responsibility, follow the process, and work to earn that trust back. Because there are companies that will hire SAP drivers. It's not like you're done in the industry. You will have to work for it, but get it done and move through it efficiently. Okay. That's what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to remind everyone protect your license, take that from this note. If there's something that could put you in violation, get rid of it now. Change those habits, focus on your career, and thank you for listening to Keep Trucking Personal. And until next time, stay safe.

SPEAKER_00 15:12

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