Best DOT drug and alcohol consortiums for owner-operators (2026 comparison)
Nine consortiums side by side: what membership costs, what a test costs, whether the price is published, and what else the vendor can do for a small carrier. Written to be fair; every number has a date on it.
Last updated 2026-09-21. Prices and review scores observed on each vendor's public website in September 2026.
How we compared them
We picked the consortiums an owner-operator is most likely to find when searching, including the largest vendors and the low-cost specialists. For each one we recorded the consortium price as shown on the site, the per-test price if shown, whether pricing is published at all, and whether the vendor also offers IFTA filing, USDOT and authority registration, Spanish service and cross-border (Canada and US) work. Review scores come from Trustpilot where the vendor has a profile. Anything we could not confirm from public pages is marked "not verified" rather than guessed. Profirm's row comes from our own price list, which is dated and public on the pricing page.
Two things this table does not measure: how quickly a human answers the phone, and how many alcohol tests the consortium actually runs. Both matter and both are in the "how to choose" section below.
Nine consortiums, one row each
| Vendor | Consortium price | Test price | Prices published | Online enrollment | Spanish | IFTA | Registration | Cross-border | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profirm USA Since 1988 | $99 per year, owner-operator; $30 each additional driver | $79 per random test, $49 breath alcohol | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | New US site; reviews on /reviews/ |
| Foley foleyservices.com | 50 to 150 USD per driver per year | 40 to 80 USD per test | No | Not verified | No | Not verified | Not verified | No | Trustpilot 2.8 (about 1,150 reviews) |
| J.J. Keller jjkeller.com | Quote only | Quote only | No | Not verified | No | Not verified | Not verified | No | No profile found |
| DOT Compliance Group dotcompliancegroup.com | 299 USD per year | 99 USD per test | Yes | Not verified | No | Not verified | Not verified | No | Trustpilot 2.8 |
| National Drug Screening nationaldrugscreening.com | About 155 USD per year | Not published | Yes | Not verified | No | Not verified | Not verified | No | No profile found |
| Consortium Pool consortiumpool.com | 65.95 USD enrollment, or 165 USD with testing | Included in the 165 USD option | Yes | Not verified | No | Not verified | Not verified | No | No profile found |
| Vertical Identity verticalidentity.com | 85 USD first driver, 25 USD each additional | 69 USD per test | Yes | Not verified | No | Not verified | Not verified | No | No profile found |
| goMDnow gomdnow.com | 99 USD per year | Not published | Yes | Not verified | No | Not verified | Not verified | No | No profile found |
| Simplex Group simplexgroup.net | Not published | Not published | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | No | No profile found |
| Fast Trucking Compliance | Not published | Not published | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | No | No profile found |
"Not verified" means the vendor's public pages did not state it when we checked. "No" for cross-border means the vendor does not claim Canada and US expertise on its site. Profirm's test and query prices include the SAMHSA laboratory, MRO review and the FMCSA Clearinghouse query fee; consortium membership has no government fee.
Each vendor in two paragraphs
Foley
One of the largest DOT compliance vendors in the country; consortium pricing is quote-based and tests are billed separately. Trustpilot 2.8 (about 1,150 reviews).
What they do well. Scale. Foley is one of the largest compliance vendors in the country with a broad catalog: consortium, background checks, DQ files, registration. A fleet that wants one large vendor for everything gets that.
Who they suit. Mid-size and large fleets with an in-house safety manager who can negotiate the quote and manage the relationship. The Trustpilot score (2.8 across about 1,150 reviews) is worth reading before you sign a multi-year contract.
Profirm vs FoleyJ.J. Keller
A large regulatory publisher and services company; consortium and testing prices are available on request rather than published.
What they do well. Regulatory depth. J.J. Keller publishes the handbooks, the training and the forms half the industry uses. Its consortium comes with that library behind it.
Who they suit. Fleets that already buy J.J. Keller training or software and want the consortium under the same account. Prices are on request, so ask for the full per-driver and per-test schedule in writing.
DOT Compliance Group
Publishes a flat annual consortium price with tests billed on top. Trustpilot 2.8.
What they do well. Simplicity. One published annual price (299 USD) and one test price (99 USD). No quote call needed to know the number.
Who they suit. Owner-operators who want a flat yearly fee and do not mind paying more per test. Compare the alcohol testing rate they run; at 10 percent it is fine, at higher rates the per-test price adds up.
Profirm vs DOT Compliance GroupNational Drug Screening
A drug-testing specialist that publishes an annual consortium price of about 155 USD.
What they do well. Testing focus. National Drug Screening does drug testing as its core business, DOT and non-DOT, and publishes an annual consortium price of about 155 USD.
Who they suit. Employers who also need non-DOT testing for office staff and want one testing vendor for both.
Consortium Pool
Offers a low enrollment-only price and a bundled price that includes testing.
What they do well. Low entry price. Enrollment-only at 65.95 USD, or 165 USD with testing included, both published.
Who they suit. A one-driver operation that wants the lowest sticker price. Check what "with testing" covers, how many tests, and what a pre-employment test costs on top.
Vertical Identity
Publishes per-driver consortium pricing and a flat per-test price.
What they do well. Clear per-driver pricing. 85 USD for the first driver, 25 USD for each additional, and a flat 69 USD per test. Easy to model for a small fleet.
Who they suit. Small fleets of two to ten drivers that want predictable line items and do not need IFTA, registration or Spanish from the same vendor.
Profirm vs Vertical IdentitygoMDnow
Publishes a 99 USD annual consortium price.
What they do well. Price. A published 99 USD annual consortium fee, the same headline number as Profirm.
Who they suit. Owner-operators comparing on the annual fee alone. Ask what a test costs and how random selections are scheduled before deciding on price parity.
Simplex Group
A compliance services company; we did not observe published consortium or test prices in our September 2026 check.
What they do well. Breadth of services beyond the consortium. Simplex Group markets a full compliance and registration offer.
Who they suit. Carriers that want a bundle and are comfortable getting prices by phone; we did not find published consortium or test prices.
Fast Trucking Compliance
A smaller compliance vendor; we did not record consortium or test prices in our September 2026 check.
What they do well. A smaller vendor aimed at new carriers getting set up.
Who they suit. New entrants who want a quick registration bundle. We did not record consortium or test prices for them, so ask for the full schedule.
Profirm USA
Founded 1988 in Napierville, Quebec. Consortium, permits, IFTA and training for carriers running into the US. Bilingual from day one; the team answers the phone.
What we do well. Random pool at exactly the FMCSA rates (50 percent drugs, 10 percent alcohol), published prices with government fees separated, IFTA and registration from the same desk, service in English, Spanish and French, and cross-border experience since 1988.
Who we suit. Owner-operators and fleets up to about 20 trucks that want one compliance desk, and any Quebec or Ontario carrier running into the US.
See the consortiumFour questions to ask any consortium before you pay
- What alcohol testing rate do you run? The legal minimum is 10 percent. Some consortiums run 50 to 70 percent because they bill per test. On a five-driver fleet that is three extra alcohol tests a year at the vendor's test price.
- Are tests extra, and how much? A 65 USD membership with 99 USD tests costs more over a year than a 99 USD membership with $79 tests once you add the pre-employment test each driver needs. Get the per-test price in writing before you enroll.
- Do you separate government fees from your fees? A USDOT number costs nothing from FMCSA. Operating authority is 300 USD per type on Pay.gov. The Clearinghouse query fee is 1.25 USD. A vendor that blends these into one number is the kind FMCSA's fraud advisories warn about.
- How do I reach a human? Call the number on the site before you enroll and see who picks up. When a driver is selected for a random test on a Friday afternoon, you want a person, not a ticket queue.
The best consortium for you is the one that meets 49 CFR Part 40 and Part 382, publishes its prices, does not over-test, and answers the phone. Any of the vendors above may be that for you; this page exists so you can compare them on those terms.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a consortium cost 65 USD at one vendor and 299 USD at another?
Because the fee structures differ. Some vendors price the membership low and make their margin on each test, sometimes by running alcohol tests far above the 10 percent legal rate. Others price the membership high and include more. Compare the year total for your driver count, not the headline fee: membership plus expected tests (about 0.5 drug tests and 0.1 alcohol tests per driver per year at the FMCSA minimums) plus Clearinghouse queries.
What are the 2026 random testing rates?
50 percent for controlled substances and 10 percent for alcohol, set by FMCSA under 49 CFR 382.305, unchanged for the sixth year. A consortium must meet these minimums across its pool. It may test more; you pay for every extra test.
Do I need a consortium if I am the only driver?
Yes. An owner-operator cannot be in a random pool of one and cannot select themselves. FMCSA requires owner-operators to use a C/TPA for random testing and to designate one in the Clearinghouse. It is checked at the new-entrant safety audit.
Are any of these consortiums approved by FMCSA or DOT?
No. FMCSA does not approve, certify or endorse any consortium or C/TPA. It never robocalls and never charges for forms. What matters is that the C/TPA follows 49 CFR Part 40, uses a SAMHSA-certified laboratory and a certified Medical Review Officer, and keeps the records an auditor asks for.
How did you verify the competitor prices?
We read each vendor's public website in September 2026 and recorded the prices shown, or "quote only" when none was shown. Trustpilot scores were read on the same dates. Anything we could not confirm is marked "not verified". Last updated 2026-09-21. If you are a vendor listed here and something is wrong, email [email protected] and we will correct it.
What does Profirm include for the annual fee?
Random pool membership at the FMCSA minimums, C/TPA designation in the Clearinghouse, a same-day enrollment certificate, a written policy, supervisor and driver education materials and audit-ready records. Tests are $79 each. Annual Clearinghouse queries are $15 per driver including the $1.25 FMCSA fee. See the consortium page.
Want the same table for your driver count?
Tell us how many drivers you have. We send the year total, tests included, government fees apart, the same business day.