Hiring a CDL Driver: Steps and Costs
Before the first safety-sensitive shift, a new CDL driver needs a verified negative drug test, a Clearinghouse full query, an application, a road test or CDL copy, and proof of current medical certification, which now shows on the state driving record. The rest of the background checks follow within 30 days of hire. Diversified Safety & Compliance coordinates each step from one call.
- One Call for Every Step
- DOT Physicals in Lincoln and Beatrice
- Our Price for Each Step
DOT-Qualified Collectors
Each step, the rule behind it, and our price
| Step | Rule | Our price |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-employment DOT drug test, with a verified negative result before the first shift | 49 CFR 382.301 | $75 at our clinics, $95 with our mobile collectors |
| Clearinghouse full query, with the driver's consent | 49 CFR 382.701 | $35, FMCSA's fee included |
| MVR from the driver's current state before the first shift (for CDL drivers, it now shows medical certification), and from every other state licensed in over the past 3 years within 30 days of hire | 49 CFR 391.23, 391.51 | $20 per report, plus the state fee |
| DOT physical from a medical examiner on the FMCSA National Registry | 49 CFR 391.41–391.45 | $179, or $125 for consortium members, in Lincoln and Beatrice |
| Employment application, road test or a copy of the CDL, and safety performance history from previous DOT employers (within 30 days of hire) | 49 CFR 391.21, 391.31–391.33, 391.23 | Filed for you; safety performance history goes in a separate investigation file (49 CFR 391.53) |
| Driver qualification file | 49 CFR 391.51 | $50 per company (once) and $25 per driver to set up, then $18 per driver a month |
| A place in your random testing pool | 49 CFR 382.305 | Consortium membership, $129 a year per company |
$295 for a consortium member's new hire
For a consortium member hiring one driver who has held a license only in Nebraska:
- Drug test at our clinic: $75
- Clearinghouse full query: $35
- MVR: $20, plus the $15 Nebraska fee
- DOT physical at the consortium member rate: $125
- Driver file setup: $25
That's $295 for the hire, then $18 a month to keep the file current. If you're new to our driver file service, add $50 once for company setup, and $150 for Clearinghouse setup if you don't have an employer login. Drivers licensed in other states add an MVR for each state, and our mobile collectors can test at your yard for $95, plus one trip charge per visit: $10 inside Lincoln, Omaha, or Beatrice, or $0.70 per round-trip mile elsewhere.
One call, then we handle the rest
- 1
Send us the driver
Name, start date, and the states where the driver has held a license.
- 2
We schedule the test and physical
At our Lincoln, Beatrice, or West Omaha clinic, with our mobile collector, or at a partner site near the driver. DOT physicals are in Lincoln and Beatrice.
- 3
We run the query and pull the MVRs
The Clearinghouse full query and the current-state MVR before the first shift, and any other state's MVR within 30 days of hire, reviewed and filed.
- 4
We tell you when the pre-hire steps are done
Once the drug test result is verified negative, the Clearinghouse query is clear, and the driving record shows current medical certification, we let you know. Anything else follows within 30 days of hire.
Nebraska Trucking Association member new to us?
Driver file setup is on us, your Compliance Readiness Review is free, and your first year of consortium membership is 10% off.
New driver questions
Can a new driver start before the drug test result comes back?
No. A DOT employer needs a verified negative pre-employment result before the driver performs any safety-sensitive function, including driving a commercial motor vehicle (49 CFR 382.301). Schedule the test as soon as you make the offer, so the result is back before the planned start date.
How long do results take?
Negative lab results typically come back in 24–48 hours. A non-negative result takes longer, because the Medical Review Officer (MRO) contacts the driver before reporting it. We let you know as soon as the verified result is in, and it shows in your employer portal.
What if the driver was licensed in another state?
We pull an MVR from every state where the driver held a license in the past 3 years, within 30 days of hire, as 49 CFR 391.23 requires. Each report is $20 plus that state's fee. We review them, file them in the driver's qualification file, and tell you if anything needs your attention.
Can the driver test outside Nebraska?
Yes. Our own collectors cover Nebraska and Kansas, and drivers elsewhere test at one of 3,000+ partner collection sites for $95, with the lab and MRO review included. We send the driver to the nearest site, and the result comes back to us and into the driver's records like any other.
Does the new driver need a Clearinghouse account?
Yes. The driver registers in the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse to give electronic consent for the full query. We'll walk the driver through it, and if we register the driver for you, setup is $35. The full query itself is $35, with FMCSA's fee included, and it must be run before the first safety-sensitive shift.
Do you keep the driver file current after hire?
Yes. With driver file management at $18 per driver a month, we track the medical certification, the annual MVR review, and the yearly Clearinghouse limited query, and tell you before each is due. MVRs ($20 plus the state fee, including a new one after each DOT physical) and queries ($35) are billed when we run them. The rules require the file to be kept while the driver works for you and for 3 years after (49 CFR 391.51).
Where to go next
- National testing coverage: 3,000+ partner collection sites, with the same records.
- Drug and alcohol policy templates: Free DOT and non-DOT templates for our customers. We also review existing policies.
- 2027 trucking compliance deadlines: IFTA, IRP, UCR, Form 2290, and MCS-150 dates in one place.
- Nebraska trucking compliance: Filings, testing, and driver files for Nebraska carriers.
Send us the driver. We'll get them ready.
Tell us the driver's name and start date. We'll schedule the test, run the query, pull the MVRs, and set up the file.
Call (402) 252-5144 · (402) 252-5144
- Real people
- Weekday phone support 8–5 CT