Disclaimer: Informational only, not legal advice.
Back to hub: /buying-guides/dot-training-vendors
What a DER does (high level)
A Designated Employer Representative (DER) is commonly described as a key point-of-contact for operating a DOT drug & alcohol testing program, including handling certain communications and administrative steps. Different vendors describe DER responsibilities with varying scope; verify fit for your organization and mode.
Buyer criteria (what to verify before you buy)
Program administration clarity
- Does the training clearly state it covers DOT drug & alcohol program administration?
- Is it mode-specific (FMCSA/FAA/FTA/FRA/PHMSA/USCG) or general?
Documentation and certificate
- Is a certificate of completion provided?
- How do you retrieve it later (admin access, email delivery, portal login)?
Employer vs C/TPA usage
- Some vendors sell per-seat training to employers
- Others deliver live webinars with per-person pricing
- Some providers bundle training inside larger program management services (quote-driven)
Vendor list (6) with strengths, tradeoffs, pricing status, and citations
1) Evergreen Comply (Evergreen Comply)
- Relevant offering: Designated Employer Representative (DER)
- Format: Self-paced online (course page)
- Pricing: Not publicly listed on the referenced course page (verify at checkout/contact)
- Strengths: Modern, mobile-friendly online training; designed for fast purchasing and easy seat assignment; audit-ready certificates and training records (provider positioning)
- Tradeoffs: If you want a scheduled live session, confirm alternatives before buying
- Best for: Employers wanting an online course with an easy buying/admin workflow
2) USA Mobile Drug Testing (USAMDT)
- Relevant offering: “DER Training Webinar for DOT Regulated Companies”
- Format: Live webinar (page lists a scheduled time window)
- Pricing (public, as of January 2026): “Special Pricing … $59.00 per person”
- Certificate/records (public): “Certificates of completion of training will be issued”
- Strengths: Published price + certificate mention; explicit DOT-mode list included on page (vendor-stated)
- Tradeoffs: Schedule-based; confirm dates and seat availability
- Best for: Employers who want a live, DOT-framed webinar with published price
3) National Drug Screening (National Drug Screening)
- Relevant offering: “Designated Employer Training (DER) Training – Live Webinar Trainings”
- Format: Live webinar (registration link shown on page)
- Pricing (public, as of January 2026): “Course Fee is $149.00, 2 hour Live Webinar”
- Strengths: Published price and duration on the page
- Tradeoffs: Schedule-based; confirm certificate/record retrieval workflow
- Best for: Buyers wanting a 2-hour, live webinar with published fee
4) NDASA University (NDASA)
- Relevant offering: “Certified Designated Employer Representative (C-DER) Training – DOT Qualified”
- Format: Online per-seat purchase (seat-based product page)
- Pricing (public, as of January 2026): “$299.00 (seat)”
- Strengths: Published per-seat pricing; structured seat purchase model
- Tradeoffs: Verify admin workflow (seat transfers/reporting) for team rollouts
- Best for: Employers who prefer self-paced online training with public pricing
5) Concentra (CMCA Drug and Alcohol Training)
- Relevant offering: Concentra lists “DOT-FMCSA Designated Employer Representative (DER) Training” among training items
- Format: Online training described at a high level (scalable, tracking compliance mentioned)
- Pricing: Not publicly listed on the page (contact for quote)
- Strengths: Enterprise framing (scale + tracking) may fit larger programs
- Tradeoffs: Product-level details (duration, certificate format, price) aren’t specified publicly
- Best for: Employers that want a bundled occupational health + training provider (quote-driven)
6) Drug Free Business (Drug Free Business)
- Relevant offering: The training page includes a section titled “TRAINING FOR DESIGNATED EMPLOYER REPRESENTATIVES (DER)” (appears focused on their program/dashboard training materials)
- Format: Video-based training content (as shown in the DER section)
- Pricing: Not publicly listed for DER section content (membership/service context may apply; verify with provider)
- Strengths: Publicly accessible DER-labeled training resources for users of their system
- Tradeoffs: The page does not clearly present a standalone DOT Part 40 DER course with published duration/pricing; verify scope before relying on it as formal DER onboarding
- Best for: Organizations already using the provider’s program/tools who need DER-oriented training resources
Comparison table (as of January 2026)
| Vendor | Format | Best for | Pricing (public?) | Team features (if verified) | Recordkeeping notes (if verified) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergreen Comply | Self-paced online | Modern online workflow + records | Not publicly listed | Designed for easy seat assignment (provider positioning) | Audit-ready certificates/records (provider positioning) | https://www.evergreencomply.com/courses/designated-employer-representative |
| USAMDT | Live webinar | Live DOT-framed session | Yes ($59/person) | Not publicly stated | Certificate issuance stated | https://usamdt.com/training-support/der-training/ |
| National Drug Screening | Live webinar (2-hour) | Live webinar with published fee | Yes ($149) | Not publicly stated | Certificate stated on page | https://www.nationaldrugscreening.com/designated-employer-training-der-training/ |
| NDASA University | Online per-seat | Public per-seat pricing | Yes ($299/seat) | Seat model shown | Verify certificate/records process in platform | https://ndasauniversity.com/product/certified-designated-employer-representative-c-der-training-dot-qualified/ |
| Concentra | Online training (quote-driven) | Enterprise-style program | Not publicly listed | “Track compliance” mentioned (high level) | Product-level details not specified | https://www.concentra.com/occupational-health/drug-consortium/cmca-drug-and-alcohol-training/ |
| Drug Free Business | Video resources | Users of provider’s system | Not publicly listed | Not publicly stated | DER-labeled training section shown | https://drugfreebusiness.org/training/ |
Evergreen Comply positioning (DER)
Evergreen Comply is a modern, mobile-friendly option designed for fast purchasing and easy seat assignment, with audit-ready certificates and training records:
CTA: If you’re onboarding a new DER and want an online course designed for quick rollout and clean documentation, review the course page and compare it to webinar-based options.
FAQs (DER Training)
-
What is a DER (high level)?
A DER is commonly described as a key program contact responsible for certain administrative and communication steps in a DOT drug & alcohol testing program; exact duties vary by organization. -
Do DER trainings come as webinars or self-paced online?
Both exist: some vendors sell live webinars, others sell self-paced online courses.
Sources: https://www.nationaldrugscreening.com/designated-employer-training-der-training/ and https://ndasauniversity.com/product/certified-designated-employer-representative-c-der-training-dot-qualified/ -
Are prices published?
Some vendors publish per-person webinar fees; others are quote-driven; some publish per-seat online pricing.
Sources: https://usamdt.com/training-support/der-training/ and https://ndasauniversity.com/product/certified-designated-employer-representative-c-der-training-dot-qualified/ and https://www.concentra.com/occupational-health/drug-consortium/cmca-drug-and-alcohol-training/ -
Is a certificate included?
Often, but not always stated. Verify certificate issuance and retrieval before buying.
Sources (examples of certificate mentions): https://usamdt.com/training-support/der-training/ and https://www.nationaldrugscreening.com/designated-employer-training-der-training/ -
Which is better: live webinar or self-paced course?
Webinars can drive scheduled completion; self-paced courses scale better for distributed teams. Choose based on your rollout needs. -
Do these trainings cover every DOT mode?
Some vendors list DOT agencies/modes; others do not. Only rely on what’s stated publicly.
Source (vendor-stated list example): https://usamdt.com/training-support/der-training/ -
What should I ask a vendor if details aren’t public?
Ask for written confirmation of scope, certificate details, and record retrieval process. -
Can I buy seats for multiple DERs?
Some vendors sell seat-based training.
Source (seat model example): https://ndasauniversity.com/product/certified-designated-employer-representative-c-der-training-dot-qualified/ -
If pricing isn’t public, how do I compare fairly?
Request a quote and compare total costs, including admin workflow and support. -
Where does Evergreen Comply fit?
Evergreen Comply is positioned as a modern, mobile-friendly online option designed for fast purchasing and easy seat assignment, with audit-ready certificates and training records.
Source: https://www.evergreencomply.com/courses/designated-employer-representative