Ready-Mix Concrete and Aggregate Drivers: DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing
Short answer: if your mixer or dump trucks are rated 26,001 pounds or more, the drivers need a CDL and fall under DOT drug and alcohol testing (49 CFR Part 382), even if the trucks never leave the state. Plant, yard and batch-plant staff who don't drive those trucks can be tested under your own company policy.
Updated October 14, 2026 · Checked against the federal regulations
Which drivers are covered
A single truck rated 26,001 pounds or more needs a Group B CDL (383.5). Check the weight rating on the door label of each mixer and dump truck. Drivers who need a CDL are under Part 382 (382.103).
In-state fleets are covered too
The CDL rules in Part 383 apply to drivers in intrastate commerce as well as interstate (383.3), and Part 382 covers drivers subject to Part 383. A ready-mix fleet that only delivers inside one state still runs a DOT drug and alcohol program for its CDL drivers.
What the program includes
- A negative pre-employment drug test before a new driver's first load (382.301).
- Random testing: in 2026, 50% of drivers for drugs and 10% for alcohol each year (382.305).
- Post-accident, reasonable-suspicion, return-to-duty and follow-up tests.
- Clearinghouse queries before hire and every year, and supervisors trained to spot drug and alcohol use (382.603).
- A written policy every driver receives, and records kept for an audit.
Plant and yard staff
Batch-plant operators, loader operators who stay on site and other staff who don't drive a CDL truck on the road aren't under Part 382. You can test them under a separate company policy, which follows state law rather than DOT rules.
How Pact handles a ready-mix fleet
CDL drivers go in Pact's DOT program at $25 a driver a month ($99 minimum, never more than $1,020 a month up to 50 drivers), with DOT drug tests at $69 and breath alcohol tests at $59. Plant staff 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 MRO review.
Common questions
Do concrete mixer drivers need DOT drug testing?
Yes, if the mixer is rated 26,001 pounds or more, which requires a CDL. Part 382 then applies to the driver and the company.
Our trucks never leave the state. Do the DOT testing rules apply?
Yes. The CDL rules cover intrastate drivers too, and Part 382 covers drivers subject to the CDL rules.
Do batch-plant workers need DOT testing?
No, unless they also drive a CDL truck. They can be tested under a separate company policy.
Sources
- 49 CFR 382.103: Applicability
- 49 CFR 383.3: Applicability (CDL rules)
- 49 CFR 383.5: Definitions
- 49 CFR 382.305: Random testing
- 49 CFR 382.603: Supervisor training