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Owner-Operator Drug Consortium Cost: What You Pay

Short answer: an owner-operator consortium costs about $85 to $155 a year at the online sellers we checked in October 2026. Pact charges $19 a month. Tests are usually billed on top, and every Clearinghouse query costs $1.25, paid to FMCSA. The lowest sticker price is not always the lowest year, so this guide shows what goes into the yearly cost and what to compare.

Updated October 16, 2026 · Checked against the federal regulations

Why an owner-operator needs a consortium

If you have your own USDOT number and drive for yourself, the rules treat you as both the employer and the driver (382.103(b)). You must follow both sets of rules.

Random testing is the reason you cannot do it alone. An employer who employs only himself or herself must be in a random pool of two or more covered employees (382.103(b)). Joining a consortium puts you in a larger pool.

The Clearinghouse adds a second reason. An owner-operator must designate a consortium/third-party administrator (C/TPA) to handle the employer reporting duties about their own drug and alcohol use (382.705(b)(6)). The Clearinghouse FAQ says owner-operators designate their C/TPA as part of registering.

The program must be in place the day you begin running commercial motor vehicles (382.115(a)).

Rather not run this yourself? Pact runs your random pool, Clearinghouse queries, driver records and medical cards: $25 a driver a month ($99 minimum), or $19 a month for an owner-operator. First month free, no setup fee, month to month. Sign up online · See a sample random draw record · Sample certificate of enrollment

The parts of your yearly cost

Your real cost for a year is more than the membership fee. Add up these parts.

Membership: the consortium fee, billed yearly or monthly.
Pre-employment drug test: one verified negative test before you first drive under your authority (382.301), unless you qualify for the narrow exception in 382.301(b).
Random tests: billed per test at most sellers, when you are picked.
Clearinghouse queries: $1.25 each, paid to FMCSA. You must query at least once a year (382.701(b)). You buy the query plan yourself; a C/TPA may not buy it for you.
Other tests if they come up: post-accident, or observed collections for return-to-duty and follow-up tests.

How often you will be picked

For 2026, FMCSA's minimum random rates are 50% for drugs and 10% for alcohol. The rates did not change for 2026.

In a pool, every driver has an equal chance each time names are drawn (382.305). The number of tests equals at least half the pool's average size for drugs, and a tenth for alcohol. So on average, a driver is picked for about one random drug test every two years and one random alcohol test every ten years. Any one driver can be picked more or less often. That is how random works.

When you are picked, you must go to the test site right away. Random tests are unannounced (382.305).

Published consortium prices (checked October 2026)

We loaded each seller's own website in October 2026. We describe the sellers instead of naming them. Prices and terms change, so check a seller's current terms before you sign up.

An online DOT consortium: $85 a year for the first driver and $25 a year for each added driver, with a $0 setup fee. It lists member test prices of $69 for a drug test and $59 for a breath alcohol test. Its membership list includes Clearinghouse C/TPA designation.
A national online test seller with its own random pool: $99 for its DOT random pool membership, renewed each year. It also sells a 3-year membership for $250 and a 5-year membership for $349. Pool members pay $79 per DOT drug test instead of $99.
A second online consortium: $149 a year or $299 for three years, with unlimited drivers. DOT drug and alcohol tests are $60 each, separate from the enrollment fee. Its price table lists a Clearinghouse query at $5.
A national drug testing company: $155 per person per calendar year for its owner-operator random consortium package. The listing says the package includes all random testing fees but not your pre-employment test.

Pact's price and what it includes

Pact charges $19 a month. The first month is free, there is no setup fee, and it is month to month.

At the regular rate, that is $228 a year. Your first year is $209 because of the free month.

Tests are billed only when you need one: $69 for a DOT drug test (collection, certified lab and MRO review included) and $59 for a breath alcohol test. A directly observed collection, when required, is $50 extra. Your Clearinghouse queries still cost $1.25 each, paid to FMCSA from your own query plan.

Your random pool and selections
C/TPA service in the Clearinghouse: queries and reporting
Tracking of your medical card and your annual MVR review dates
A certificate of enrollment with a QR code anyone can scan to check you are enrolled

Being fair: when a yearly plan costs less

Some yearly plans cost less per year than Pact's $228 at the regular rate. If you want the lowest yearly fee and you track your own medical card and MVR dates, one of them may cost you less.

A monthly plan can make sense if you would rather pay as you go, leave any month, or want the tracking done for you. Either way, compare the whole year, not just the sign-up price.

Is it billed monthly or yearly, and what happens to your records if you leave?
Are random tests included in the fee, or billed each time you are picked?
What is the member price for a drug test and a breath alcohol test?
Is there a fee to run a Clearinghouse query on top of FMCSA's $1.25?
What does an observed collection cost?
Will you get a certificate of enrollment and records of each random selection?
Does the plan track your medical card and annual MVR review, or is that on you?

What stays your job

Joining a consortium does not hand off your duties. If you use a service agent for random testing, you must make sure it tests at the right rate and keeps only covered employees in the pool (382.305).

If your C/TPA changes, update it in the Clearinghouse within 10 days (382.711). DOT does not certify C/TPAs, so ask any consortium to show you its selection records and your test history.

Common questions

How much does a DOT consortium cost for an owner-operator?

About $85 to $155 a year at the four sellers we checked in October 2026. Pact charges $19 a month with the first month free. Tests and Clearinghouse queries are usually extra.

Are drug tests included in the consortium fee?

Usually not. One online consortium says testing is separate from its enrollment fee. One national seller's owner-operator random package says it includes all random testing fees but not the pre-employment test. Ask before you join.

Do I still pay Clearinghouse fees if I have a consortium?

Yes. FMCSA charges $1.25 per query. You buy the query plan in the Clearinghouse yourself, because a C/TPA may not buy it for you.

Can I be my own consortium?

No. An owner-operator must be in a random pool of two or more covered employees, and must designate a C/TPA in the Clearinghouse.

How often will I be randomly tested?

It is chance. With 2026 rates of 50% for drugs and 10% for alcohol, a driver averages about one random drug test every two years and one random alcohol test every ten years, but you can be picked more or less often.

Is a monthly or yearly consortium plan cheaper?

It depends on what is included. Compare the full year: membership, test prices, query fees, and whether your medical card and MVR review are tracked for you.

Sources

Related guides

Want this handled for you? Pact runs your random pool, Clearinghouse queries and driver records online: $25 a driver a month ($99 minimum), or $19 a month for an owner-operator. DOT drug test $69, breath alcohol $59, through Pact's lab network or your own lab. First month free, no setup fee, month to month. Sign up online · Owner-operators · How many random tests do I owe? · Watch how it works · Sample random draw record · Sample certificate of enrollment · 901-666-6970