Two hours — 120 minutes total. 49 CFR § 382.603 requires at least 60 minutes of training on alcohol misuse plus at least an additional 60 minutes on controlled substances use, for every person designated to supervise CDL drivers.
49 CFR § 382.603 — Training for supervisors
Each employer shall ensure that all persons designated to supervise drivers receive at least 60 minutes of training on alcohol misuse and receive at least an additional 60 minutes of training on controlled substances use. The training will be used by the supervisors to determine whether reasonable suspicion exists to require a driver to undergo testing under § 382.307. The training shall include the physical, behavioral, speech, and performance indicators of probable alcohol misuse and use of controlled substances. Recurrent training for supervisory personnel is not required.
The regulation splits the requirement deliberately: 60 minutes on alcohol misuse, and an additional 60 minutes on controlled substances. A single 60-minute course covering both does not satisfy § 382.603, and neither does two hours spent entirely on drugs. If you are evaluating a training vendor, check that the course is structured as two distinct 60-minute components.
The rule names the content: the physical, behavioral, speech, and performance indicators of probable alcohol misuse and controlled substance use. The purpose is stated too — supervisors use the training to determine whether reasonable suspicion exists to require a test under § 382.307.
“All persons designated to supervise drivers.” In practice that is anyone who might observe a CDL driver and decide whether to order a test: owners, safety managers, dispatchers, terminal managers, and owner-operators who supervise other drivers. It is a function, not a job title.
Two hours, self-paced, built to 49 CFR § 382.603. Certificate issues on completion.
Learn more →No. Section 382.603 sets the duration and the content but does not prescribe a delivery method, so self-paced online training satisfies it.
No. Section 382.603 states plainly that recurrent training for supervisory personnel is not required. Many carriers refresh periodically as company policy, but that is a choice, not a federal mandate.
Section 382.401 requires employers to retain documentation of the training provided to supervisors for the purpose of qualifying them to make reasonable suspicion determinations. A dated certificate of completion in the driver qualification file is the usual form.
Regulatory text on this page was verified against the current eCFR on August 31, 2026. This is general compliance information, not legal advice. Questions? Call (888) 869-0898.