Landscaping and Tree Care Companies: DOT Number, CDL and Drug Testing
Short answer: DOT drug and alcohol testing applies only to your drivers who need a CDL. A pickup towing a heavy equipment trailer can cross that line. Everyone else on the crew can be tested under your own company policy; federal law doesn't require it for them. Here is how to tell which drivers are which.
Updated October 14, 2026 · Checked against the federal regulations
Three different questions
- Do you need a USDOT number? For FMCSA safety rules, a commercial motor vehicle starts at 10,001 pounds in interstate commerce (390.5). Companies running those trucks register with FMCSA (390.201). Some states also require a USDOT number for in-state trucks, so check your state.
- Does the driver need a CDL? Only at the CDL weights in 383.5, below.
- Does the driver need DOT drug testing? Only if they need a CDL (382.103).
When a truck and trailer need a CDL
A combination needs a Group A CDL when its gross combination weight rating or weight is 26,001 pounds or more (whichever is greater) and the trailer's rating or weight is more than 10,000 pounds (383.5). A single truck rated 26,001 pounds or more needs a Group B CDL.
Example, using the definition: a truck rated 14,000 pounds pulling an equipment trailer rated 14,000 pounds is a 28,000-pound combination with a trailer over 10,000 pounds. The driver needs a Group A CDL, so that driver is under DOT drug and alcohol testing. The same truck pulling a 7,000-pound trailer is a 21,000-pound combination: no CDL, no DOT testing, though it can still need a USDOT number.
What DOT testing means for CDL drivers
- A negative pre-employment drug test before the first drive (382.301).
- A random pool: in 2026, 50% of drivers tested for drugs and 10% for alcohol each year. A company with one CDL driver joins a consortium so the pool has two or more people (382.103).
- Post-accident and reasonable-suspicion tests, return-to-duty and follow-up tests.
- Clearinghouse queries before hire and every year, and a written policy each driver receives.
Testing the rest of the crew
Crew members who don't drive a CDL vehicle can be tested under your own written policy: pre-employment, random, post-accident or reasonable suspicion. Federal law doesn't require it for them. State laws differ, especially on marijuana, so the policy should follow the states where your crews work.
How Pact handles a landscaping company
CDL drivers go in Pact's DOT program at $25 a driver a month ($99 minimum), with DOT drug tests at $69. The rest of the crew can be tested on a Pact employer account with no monthly fee: $40 for a 5- or 10-panel lab test at a Quest site, with a Medical Review Officer's review, and a random program at the rate in your policy.
Common questions
Do landscapers need DOT drug testing?
Only for drivers who need a CDL. Drivers of trucks and trailers below the CDL weights aren't under DOT testing, though the company may still need a USDOT number.
Does a pickup with an equipment trailer need a CDL?
If the combination is 26,001 pounds or more and the trailer is over 10,000 pounds (rating or actual weight, whichever is greater), yes: Group A.
Can we drug test crew members who don't have a CDL?
Yes, under your own written company policy. It isn't DOT testing, and state laws on testing and marijuana apply.
Sources
- 49 CFR 382.103: Applicability
- 49 CFR 383.5: Definitions (CMV for CDL purposes)
- 49 CFR 390.5: Definitions (CMV for safety rules)
- 49 CFR 390.201: USDOT Registration
- 49 CFR 382.301: Pre-employment testing