There have been many significant regulatory changes at the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as issues at the state level that affect employers of workers who are subject to DOT requirements.

In 2015, the most recent year for which the DOT is reporting, the DOT assessed fines or settled Notices of Claim totaling approximately $33.8 million. In 2014, the total was approximately $36.3 millio... Read More

The CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse will be operational on January 6, 2020. The clearinghouse will be a database of positive drug and alcohol test results for Commercial Driver License (CDL) holders that employers will be required to check prior to putting a new employee to work.  Employers will also be required to annually query the Clearinghouse for each driver they currently emplo... Read More

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) sent the proposed final rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review on Tuesday, June 11. This hair-test rule would establish the scientific and technical guidelines for the inclusion of hair specimens in the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs and establishes standards f... Read More

With more and more states allowing for either medicinal and recreational marijuana sales, many fleets are beginning to show concern about whether or not they need to keep a closer eye on their drivers. No matter the controlled or uncontrolled substance a person imbibes, the effects on their driving ability and the safety of those around them on the highway is a cause for concern that needs to... Read More

Update on Drug Testing

More Workers Test Positive for Drug Use

The number of American workers testing positive for drug use is at its highest rate in more than a decade. Every year Quest Diagnostics publishes a report of drug use trends. This year’s report found that the national positivity rate held steady from 2016 to 2017 at 4.2% of the workforce. Cocaine positivity rates increased for the ... Read More

There have been many significant regulatory changes at the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as issues at the State level that affect employers of workers who are subject to DOT requirements. I would be willing to guess that over 95% of the motor carriers do not have their Company policies up to snuff and therefore are not in compliance.

In 2015, the most recent year for which the DOT is r... Read More

For the first time, beginning Jan 1, truck drivers being administered random pre-employment and post-accident drug tests will be screened for four additional synthetic opioids, the highly addictive drugs that likely will require medical experts to consider prescriptions that balance pain mitigation with safety performance.

While indications are that most of the private drug-testing labs are ready t... Read More

The percentage of U.S. workers in “safety-sensitive” jobs — a category that includes truck drivers — who flunked their federally-mandated drug tests increased at an “alarming” rate from 2015 to 2016, according to an analysis of drug testing data collected by the nation’s largest lab. Overall, the percentage of safety-sensitive workers who failed crept up y... Read More

Local police agencies caused a stir three years ago by setting up roadblocks around the country designed to "voluntarily" swab motorists for drug use. The heavy handed tactics used at these locations sparked a lawsuit and the ire of at least one US senator, forcing the agencies to retreat -- for a time. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced last week that i... Read More