Vertical Identity vs ADTC: same testing bill, eight more services, no phone call to join.
American Drug Testing Consortium charges $60 a year for an owner-operator, then $75 per drug test and $50 per alcohol test. A pre-employment test and one random draw make a $210 year, against $235 at Vertical Identity including the Clearinghouse queries, so ADTC is lower on the testing bill and we say so. The rest is not close. ADTC's FMCSA page mentions Clearinghouse reporting but prices no Clearinghouse service, its site does not mention MVRs, PSP reports, background checks, DOT physicals, or a written policy, its supervisor training has no published price, and its "Apply Now" buttons lead to a contact form. Vertical Identity sells all eleven services at published prices and enrolls you online in about five minutes.
/prices feed; MVR member rates from the per-state catalog at /prices/mvr-catalog; supervisor training from our training page. ADTC pricing read from drugtestingconsortium.com/fmcsa ($60 owner-operator membership, $75 drug test, $50 alcohol test, $120 company membership) and drugtestingconsortium.com on 2026-09-05. Competitor pricing changes without notice; verify on their site when you evaluate.Five things you will need that ADTC does not price
FMCSA Clearinghouse services
Their FMCSA page mentions "FMCSA clearinghouse reporting," but no registration help, C/TPA designation, or query price is published. Every carrier must register, run a pre-employment full query, and an annual limited query (49 CFR § 382.701).
MVR, PSP and background checks
Not mentioned on either page. The MVR is required at hire and annually (49 CFR § 391.23, § 391.25).
DOT physical ordering
Not mentioned on either page. The medical certificate is required before driving (49 CFR § 391.41).
Written drug and alcohol policy
Not mentioned on either page. Every DOT employer must give drivers written policy materials (49 CFR § 382.601).
Online enrollment
"Apply Now" on the homepage links to drugtestingconsortium.com/contact/ and on the FMCSA page to a contact form. The homepage says to "call us today for immediate enrollment."
A consortium keeps you in a random pool. An audit asks for the other ten items too.
What does Vertical Identity offer that ADTC does not list?
Vertical Identity is a Phoenix-based Consortium / Third-Party Administrator (C/TPA) registered with the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, serving owner-operators and motor carriers in all 50 states. Membership is $85 a year for the first driver, $25 for each additional driver, or $295 flat for fleets of ten or more, with DOT drug tests at $69, breath alcohol tests at $59, Clearinghouse queries at $12 per driver per year, and supervisor training at $55 a seat.
American Drug Testing Consortium publishes a $60 annual owner-operator membership, $75 drug tests, $50 alcohol tests, and a $120 company membership, and sells supervisor and employee training courses without a published price. Its FMCSA page mentions Clearinghouse reporting but publishes no Clearinghouse service or price; its site does not mention MVR reports, PSP reports, background checks, DOT physicals, or a written drug and alcohol policy, and enrollment runs through a phone call or contact form. Vertical Identity covers all eleven driver-compliance services at published prices in one member portal and completes enrollment online with a same-day Certificate of Enrollment.
Where both publish a price, here they are. Where only one does, we say so.
Every cell below was read from a public product page on 2026-09-05: drugtestingconsortium.com · drugtestingconsortium.com/fmcsa for ADTC, and the live /prices feed for Vertical Identity. Where ADTC is cheaper, the row says so.
| Service | Vertical Identity | American Drug Testing Consortium (ADTC) | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consortium enrollment, first driver | $85/yr | $60/yr (owner-operator / small business) | ADTC is $25 lower on the entry fee |
| Additional driver / company plan | $25/yr each; $295 flat at 10+ | $120/yr "for unlimited employees" (FMCSA page); homepage lists a 5–24 employee tier and $0 enterprise tier for 25+ with quoted test pricing | ADTC lower on the membership fee |
| DOT drug test | $69 member rate | $75 | $6 less per test at Vertical Identity |
| Breath alcohol test (BAT) | $59 | $50 | ADTC $9 lower per alcohol test |
| Return-to-duty / follow-up test (observed) | $99 | Not published | Vertical Identity publishes; ADTC does not |
| Clearinghouse setup, DIY | $0, C/TPA designation included | "FMCSA clearinghouse reporting" is mentioned on their FMCSA page; no registration or designation service is published | Vertical Identity publishes; ADTC does not |
| Clearinghouse setup, Premium (scheduled call) | $199 | Not published | Vertical Identity publishes; ADTC does not |
| Clearinghouse query (pre-employment full + annual limited) | $12/driver/yr | Not published (reporting is mentioned, queries are not) | Vertical Identity publishes; ADTC does not |
| Supervisor / DER training | $55/seat | "Online courses available for purchase"; price not published | Vertical Identity publishes; ADTC does not |
| MVR (driving record) | member rate from $14.25 by state | Not mentioned | Vertical Identity only |
| PSP report | $20 | Not mentioned | Vertical Identity only |
| Criminal background check (FCRA) | $39 | Not mentioned | Vertical Identity only |
| DOT physical ordering | $129 | Not mentioned | Vertical Identity only |
| Written D&A policy | Included with membership (+ DOT guidebook); completed company-specific version $39 | Not mentioned | Vertical Identity only |
| Medical Review Officer | MRO review on every test | In-house MRO | Both |
| Collection sites | 20,000+ nationwide | "Over 20,000 testing locations nationwide" | Comparable |
| Enrollment | Online, about 5 minutes, same-day Certificate | "Apply Now" leads to a contact form; "call us today for immediate enrollment" | Vertical Identity is self-serve |
| Support | Live team Mon–Fri 6 AM–5 PM AZ, call or text; portal 24/7 | 24/7 support and emergency testing |
Solo driver: ADTC is $80 lower, before a training price they don't publish. Three drivers: ADTC $545 vs Vertical Identity $630, same caveat.
Scenario one is the single-driver year we use on every comparison page: enroll, Clearinghouse designation and queries, one supervisor seat, the pre-employment test and one random draw (about what a solo driver averages at the 50% pool rate). Scenario two is a three-driver carrier: three pre-employment tests, the queries, and random tests at the FMCSA minimum rates (two drug, one alcohol). ADTC's $120 company membership covers the drivers; it mentions Clearinghouse reporting but publishes no Clearinghouse price, and it does not price its training.
| Line item | Vertical Identity | ADTC | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo driver: consortium enrollment (year 1) | $85 | $60 | ADTC $25 lower |
| Solo driver: Clearinghouse designation + queries | $0 DIY + $12 | Reporting mentioned; no service or price published | |
| Solo driver: supervisor / DER training (1 seat) | $55 | Sold, price not published | |
| Solo driver: pre-employment test + one random draw | $138 ($69 × 2) | $150 ($75 × 2) | Vertical Identity $12 lower |
| Solo driver: year-1 total | $290, every line priced | $210 + training at an unpublished price | ADTC $80 lower; their training price is not published |
| 3 drivers: consortium | $85 + 2 × $25 = $135 | $120 company membership (their FMCSA page) | |
| 3 drivers: Clearinghouse queries | $36 (3 × $12) | Not published | |
| 3 drivers: 3 pre-employment + 2 random drug + 1 random alcohol | $207 + $138 + $59 = $404 | $225 + $150 + $50 = $425 | |
| 3 drivers: supervisor / DER training (1 seat) | $55 | Sold, price not published | |
| 3 drivers: year-1 total | $630 | $545 + training | ADTC $85 lower; their training price is not published |
ADTC is cheaper on the testing bill, and it lists three of the eleven services a CDL carrier needs. The other eight — the Clearinghouse, a written policy, MVRs, PSP, background checks, physicals, training — are yours to find elsewhere. Vertical Identity has all eleven in one portal at published prices, and you enroll online tonight instead of calling tomorrow.
Everything a compliance program should do, done in one place.
Every price is published, live.
Every Vertical Identity price on this page comes from our live price feed, the per-state MVR catalog, or our training page. $85/yr for the first driver, $25 each additional, $295 flat for fleets of 10 or more, $69 per DOT drug test at the member rate. No quote call, no "contact us for pricing".
All 11 driver-compliance services in one portal.
Random pool, Clearinghouse setup and queries, MVR, PSP, background check, DOT physical ordering, supervisor training, written policy, plus Post-SAP follow-up management. One login, one invoice.
Enroll in about five minutes, online, from your DOT number.
Type your USDOT number and we pull the carrier name, address, and driver count from FMCSA records. Your Certificate of Enrollment is generated the same day.
Order tests 24/7 and send the driver a pre-paid Passport.
Pick the test type in the member portal and the driver gets a pre-paid electronic Passport listing the three closest collection sites. They walk into any of 20,000+ DOT collection sites nationwide, no appointment.
A Medical Review Officer on every test.
Results are MRO-verified and route to your member account. Violations are handled the way the Clearinghouse rules require of your C/TPA.
Live human support, Monday to Friday 6 AM to 5 PM Arizona.
Call or text (602) 899-1606 and reach the team that runs your program, not a call center. The portal stays open around the clock.
Clearinghouse handled two ways.
Designate Vertical Identity as your C/TPA at no charge and register yourself on the FMCSA portal, or take the $199 Premium setup and we walk the registration with you on a scheduled call. Queries are $12 per driver per year.
Your written policy is included.
Membership includes a written Drug & Alcohol policy and DOT guidebook, the § 382.601 paperwork an auditor asks for first. Want it completed with your company name, DER, and effective date filled in and emailed as a PDF? That version is $39.
Hiring and keeping a CDL driver takes 11 federally-mandated steps. Vertical Identity covers all 11 at published prices.
Each step below shows the regulation that creates it, what ADTC publishes for it, and where Vertical Identity delivers it in the same portal.
- Pre-employment DOT drug test 49 CFR § 382.301(a)ADTC: Yes, $75
Required negative result before any CDL driver performs a safety-sensitive function. SAMHSA-certified lab, MRO review. → Vertical Identity DOT Pre-Employment Drug Testing — $69 member rate - Clearinghouse pre-employment full query 49 CFR § 382.701(a)ADTC: Reporting mentioned; no query price
Full query of the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse for prior violations, with the driver's electronic consent in the Clearinghouse. No driver may begin safety-sensitive work without it. → Vertical Identity Clearinghouse Query — $12/driver/yr (pre-employment full + annual limited) - Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check 49 CFR § 391.23(a)(1) + § 391.25ADTC: Not mentioned
State driving-record review at hire and annually thereafter, for every state that issued the driver a license in the prior three years. → Vertical Identity MVR Ordering — member rate from $14.25 by state, all 50 states - PSP (Pre-Employment Screening Program) report 49 U.S.C. § 31150 · FMCSA programADTC: Not mentioned
The driver's crash and inspection history from FMCSA's Motor Carrier Management Information System. Not mandatory, but standard practice for a defensible hire. → Vertical Identity PSP Reports — $20 - DOT physical examination 49 CFR § 391.41 + § 391.43ADTC: Not mentioned
Medical certificate from a certified medical examiner on the FMCSA National Registry, required before driving and renewed at least every two years. → Vertical Identity DOT Physical ordering — $129 nationwide partner network - Criminal background check (FCRA-compliant) FCRA, 15 U.S.C. § 1681bADTC: Not mentioned
Multi-jurisdiction criminal search under Fair Credit Reporting Act consent rules. Expected by most carrier insurance underwriters. → Vertical Identity Background Checks — $39 - Random drug and alcohol testing pool 49 CFR § 382.305ADTC: Yes, $60/yr
FMCSA minimum annual rates of 50% for drugs and 10% for alcohol, scientifically random selections spread through the year. Pool placement is the consortium's core job. → Vertical Identity Random Testing Program — included in $85/yr membership - Annual Clearinghouse limited query 49 CFR § 382.701(b)ADTC: Reporting mentioned; no query price
Every employer must run a limited query on every employed CDL driver at least once a year, on the driver's general consent. → Vertical Identity Clearinghouse Services — $12/driver/yr covers the annual limited query - Annual MVR refresh 49 CFR § 391.25(a)ADTC: Not mentioned
An updated MVR for every driver at least once every 12 months, reviewed for safety-impacting violations. → Vertical Identity MVR annual renewal — member rate by state - Written drug and alcohol policy on file 49 CFR § 382.601ADTC: Not mentioned
Every DOT-regulated employer must give each driver written policy materials and keep them on file for FMCSA inspection. → Vertical Identity membership includes your written D&A policy + DOT guidebook - Supervisor / DER reasonable-suspicion training 49 CFR § 382.603ADTC: Sold, price not published
At least 60 minutes on alcohol misuse plus 60 minutes on controlled-substance use for every supervisor of a CDL driver, including an owner-operator acting as their own DER. → Vertical Identity Supervisor / DER Training — $55 per seat
Vertical Identity delivers all 11 at published prices. ADTC lists 3.
Enroll with Vertical Identity in 5 minutes →What carriers ask before switching
Is Vertical Identity a real consortium, or a reseller?
Vertical Identity is a Consortium / Third-Party Administrator (C/TPA) registered with the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. We hold our own accounts with SAMHSA-certified laboratories and a nationwide network of more than 20,000 DOT collection sites, and our members order through our portal at the $69 member rate. Nothing is resold through a middle layer.
Does Vertical Identity offer a do-it-yourself Clearinghouse path?
Yes. Membership includes designating Vertical Identity as your C/TPA at no extra cost. You register yourself on the FMCSA Clearinghouse portal (about ten minutes) and designate us. If you would rather have help, the $199 Premium setup walks the registration with you on a scheduled virtual meeting, because login.gov authentication has to happen with you present. Pre-employment full queries and annual limited queries are $12 per driver per year.
How do I switch from ADTC to Vertical Identity?
Enroll at members.verticalidentity.com/enroll from your DOT number; it takes about five minutes and your Certificate of Enrollment is generated the same day. Then tell ADTC in writing the date your program with them ends. Do not leave a gap: a carrier must be in a random pool every day it operates (49 CFR § 382.305).
ADTC is $60 a year and Vertical Identity is $85. Why pay more?
On the membership fee alone, ADTC is $25 less, and on a typical solo testing year it stays lower even though our tests are $6 less each. What the $85 buys beyond the pool is the difference: your Clearinghouse C/TPA designation, your written D&A policy, and one portal where MVRs, PSP reports, background checks, DOT physicals, Clearinghouse queries, and supervisor training all carry a published price. ADTC's site does not mention most of those services.
Can I enroll with ADTC online?
Not that we could find. On drugtestingconsortium.com the "Apply Now" button links to their contact page, and the FMCSA program page's button opens a contact form; the homepage says to call for immediate enrollment. Vertical Identity enrollment is self-serve: enter your DOT number, we pull your carrier record from FMCSA, you pay, and the Certificate of Enrollment is generated the same day.
Does ADTC handle the FMCSA Clearinghouse?
Their FMCSA program page mentions "FMCSA clearinghouse reporting," but no registration help, C/TPA designation, or query price is published on the pages we reviewed. Every carrier with CDL drivers must register in the Clearinghouse, run a full query before a driver starts, and a limited query on every driver each year (49 CFR § 382.701). Vertical Identity includes the C/TPA designation with membership, runs both queries for $12 per driver per year, and offers a $199 Premium setup call if you want the registration done with you.
Switch to Vertical Identity in 5 minutes.
Enroll online from your DOT number tonight, get your Certificate of Enrollment the same day, and keep the whole compliance year in one portal at published prices.