SAP return-to-duty management, fully run for you.
A positive test, refusal, or DOT violation doesn't have to end your career. Your SAP wrote a plan — FMCSA won't let you manage it yourself, and many employers don't want to carry the burden. We coordinate directly with your SAP, schedule every test, file Clearinghouse paperwork, and keep your program audit-ready. $240/yr in management. Tests billed separately. Confidential, judgment-free.
Flat annual fee. Covers everything we do — coordination, scheduling, reporting, recordkeeping. No surprise charges.
- SAP-direct intake (confidential, no relay)
- Every test scheduled at a nearby site from our 20,000+
- MRO review on every result
- Clearinghouse reporting on your behalf
- Audit-ready compliance records
- Live help at (602) 899-1606, Mon–Fri 6 AM – 5 PM AZ
Both legal options exist (employer-managed or VI-managed). Many employers don't want the burden, and a third party gives the driver a buffer.
- Confidential — your boss isn't tracking every test
- Independent third-party coordination
- Your DER doesn't carry the deadline risk
- Call us Mon–Fri 6 AM – 5 PM AZ to get started
- Judgment-free — this isn't our first one
Drug & alcohol tests during your program are billed separately at member prices. Pricing transparent — no platform fees.
- Observed RTD test — $69 + $50 observation = $119
- Each follow-up test (6+ in year 1) — $119
- Breath alcohol test (BAT) — $59
- DOT physical (if med card lapses) — $129
- Typical first-year all-in: ~$1,073
- Pay per test — no prepayment
Why isn't a SAP program a DIY project?
The federal rules around the return-to-duty process are specific and unforgiving. Three things make self-management legally and practically impossible — they're also the reason many employers don't want to handle it in-house either.
FMCSA prohibits self-management
49 CFR Part 40 Subpart O explicitly requires a third party — either your employer's Designated Employer Representative (DER) or a Consortium/Third-Party Administrator (C/TPA) — to run the return-to-duty program. The driver cannot administer their own follow-up testing. This isn't optional and it isn't waivable.
The follow-up schedule is unpredictable
The SAP prescribes a minimum of 6 unannounced tests in the first 12 months — and possibly continued testing up to 60 months total. The randomness is the point. Without a third party tracking it, drivers and employers miss tests, and a missed test is a refusal, which is a positive result, which restarts the entire process.
Clearinghouse deadlines are unforgiving
Every status change in your program — negative RTD test, follow-up completions, plan completion — has a Clearinghouse reporting deadline. Miss one and the program restarts or stalls. We file every report on your behalf and keep audit-ready documentation in case FMCSA ever asks.
Who manages your program — your employer, or us?
Both options are legally compliant. The honest answer: many employers don't want the burden, and a third party gives the driver a buffer. Running SAP programs is part of our everyday work; a DER at a small carrier may do it once or twice a career.
Their DER tracks every test, deadline, and report. Legally fine. Many haven't done it before.
- Burden: High — internal DER hours
- Confidentiality: Employer sees details
- Missed deadline risk: Employer liability
- Cost: Internal labor
- Driver experience: Boss involved in every test
- Expertise: Variable — depends on carrier
Confidential third-party buffer. Your DER doesn't carry the burden, your driver doesn't relay messages.
- Burden: On us — we run it end-to-end
- Confidentiality: Third-party buffer
- Missed deadline risk: We carry the process
- Cost: $240/yr flat program fee
- Driver experience: Independent coordination
- Expertise: SAP programs are part of our everyday work
Employer-managed is fine if your DER has done it before. If not, the Post-SAP program takes it off their desk.
Three things happen, and we run all of them.
Once your SAP completes the evaluation and writes a treatment plan, the rest is execution. That execution is what we do — confidentially, on schedule, and documented for any audit that comes later.
Your SAP sends us your plan
Confidential, professional-to-professional. We coordinate directly with your Substance Abuse Professional, your treatment provider if applicable, and your employer if they're involved. You don't carry paperwork around or relay messages between offices.
We schedule and track every test
Directly-observed return-to-duty test first. Then 6+ unannounced follow-up tests in the first 12 months — possibly more if your SAP extends the schedule up to 60 months. Every test is routed to a collection site near you from our 20,000+, so you're not driving across the state for a sample.
We file the paperwork
MRO review on every result. Clearinghouse reporting on your behalf. Compliance documentation kept current and audit-ready. You stay on the road. We keep the binder current. That's the deal.
What's included in the $240 program fee — and what isn't.
We're upfront about this because it matters. The $240/yr fee covers our work managing the program. The actual drug and alcohol tests your SAP requires are billed separately at member prices. On the minimum schedule (one RTD test and 6 follow-ups), the first year comes to about $1,073 all-in.
Program management
- Direct coordination with your SAP
- Confidential program intake + setup
- Scheduling of every RTD + follow-up test
- MRO review on every test result
- Clearinghouse reporting on your behalf
- Compliance documentation kept audit-ready
- Live help Mon–Fri 6 AM – 5 PM AZ, judgment-free
- 24/7 portal access if employer-managed
Tests are extra
- Directly-observed RTD test — $119
- Follow-up tests (6+ in first year) — $119 each
- Breath alcohol test (BAT) if SAP requires — $59
- DOT physical if your med card lapsed — $129
Watch: what is a SAP?
What a Substance Abuse Professional is, and why the whole return-to-duty process depends on one.
Other things people in your situation usually ask about
Frequently Asked Questions
Don't see yours? Call or text (602) 899-1606.
Hours: Mon–Fri 6 AM – 5 PM AZ
[email protected]
Can I just self-manage my SAP program if it's only me?
No. 49 CFR Part 40 Subpart O requires a third party — your employer's DER or a C/TPA — to administer the return-to-duty program. The driver legally cannot manage their own follow-up testing schedule. This is true even if you are an owner-operator with no other drivers. We step in as the third-party administrator so the program is compliant.
How long does the SAP return-to-duty program last?
FMCSA requires a minimum of 6 unannounced follow-up tests in the first 12 months after your return-to-duty test. The SAP can extend testing for up to 60 months total based on your evaluation. We track every deadline so nothing slips.
What happens if I miss a follow-up test?
Missing a scheduled follow-up test is treated as a refusal under DOT rules — which is the same as a positive result. Your return-to-duty status would be revoked and you'd restart the SAP process. That is why we manage the schedule, route you to a nearby collection site, and track every test for you.
Will my SAP program show up on every job application?
Your violation is reported to the FMCSA Clearinghouse and stays for 5 years (or until you complete the return-to-duty process and a follow-up testing plan, whichever is later). Any motor carrier running a pre-employment Clearinghouse query will see it. Completing the program with documented compliance is the fastest path to demonstrating you're back in good standing.
Can I drive while in the program?
Not until you pass a directly-observed return-to-duty test and the SAP has signed off that you've completed treatment. After that negative RTD test, yes — you can return to safety-sensitive duty and continue driving while completing the 6+ follow-up tests over the next 12 months.
How does VI coordinate with my SAP?
Your SAP sends us your treatment plan and follow-up testing schedule directly — confidential, professional-to-professional. You don't carry paperwork around or relay messages. Once we have the plan, we own the scheduling, the MRO review, and the Clearinghouse reporting. You focus on the work in front of you.
What if I get a new employer mid-program?
The follow-up testing schedule moves with you — it belongs to you, not your employer. If we're managing your program, your new employer just designates us as the third-party administrator and the schedule continues uninterrupted. No restart, no extra fees beyond the $240/yr program fee.
What if I refuse a follow-up test?
A refusal is treated identically to a positive test under 49 CFR Part 40. You'd be removed from safety-sensitive duty, the violation is reported to the Clearinghouse, and you'd need to start the SAP process over from the beginning — new evaluation, new treatment, new RTD test, new 12+ months of follow-ups.
Ready when you are. No pressure.
Confidential. Pick whichever path fits — calling or emailing first doesn't commit you to anything.