Clearinghouse: What You Need to Know if You're a Driver and a Business Owner

Paula Rojas
May 19
2 min read

📌 What Is the Clearinghouse and Why Should You Care?

The FMCSA Clearinghouse is a federal database that tracks drug and alcohol violations by CDL drivers. Since 2020, every trucking company must check this system when hiring new drivers and conduct annual queries on all current drivers.

If you are both a CDL driver and the owner of your company, you have a double responsibility under the law:

👉 Act as the employer.

👉 Act as the employee.

⚠️ What Happens If You Don’t Comply?

Your CDL can be suspended if your status is “Prohibited.”
You can receive fines if you don’t register or follow up on violations.
Even if you only drive for your own company, the law still sees you as two separate roles: employer and driver.

🧾 What You Must Do as a Driver and Owner

✅ Register in the FMCSA Clearinghouse.

✅ Check your CDL status with at least one annual query.

✅ Hire a C/TPA (Consortium/Third-Party Administrator) if you don’t have staff to manage your compliance.

✅ Complete the full process if you (or one of your drivers) test positive or violate the drug/alcohol policy:

Evaluation by a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP)
Treatment program
Return-to-duty testing
Follow-up testing

📊 Key Stats (2024–2025)

Over 175,000 CDL drivers are currently listed as “Prohibited.”
81% of violations are related to drug use, not alcohol.
In many states, drivers in prohibited status are having their CDLs automatically downgraded.

✅ What Should You Do Now?

Log in and check your status in the Clearinghouse.
If you don’t have a C/TPA, get one now.
Make sure any violations are fully handled with a SAP and return-to-duty process.

💡 We Can Help

We offer everything you need to stay compliant with the Clearinghouse, including C/TPA management, drug tests, SAP services, and follow-up support.

👉 Stay compliant. Protect your CDL. Keep working.

At Trucking Services and Logistics, we offer full DOT compliance support. We prepare you for inspections, help you avoid penalties, and protect your operations.

📲 Message us on WhatsApp: https://wa.me/18134356924