Driver Hair Testing: FMCSA Won’t Accept Results

Most truck drivers and owner-operators are familiar with routine drug tests. They’re used as a preemployment screenings or during random tests while on the job. Many major carriers see drug testing as a way to keep drug-abusing drivers off the road and protect their businesses and the public.

Trucking Alliance Hair Tests Denied by FMCSA

Some of the country’s largest carriers are in favor of hair testing in addition to the required U.S. DOT urinalysis; however, the FMCSA will not accept hair test results into their Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.

Here’s what you need to know about this trucking industry news:

• The FMCSA claims they lack the authority to amend the rules about the kind of tests that can be accepted into their Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.
• The Trucking Alliance, made up of 11 large carriers, states that access to hair test results in the database would help other carriers deny employment to drug-using drivers.
• Opponents to the Trucking Alliance’s position, including the OOIDA, argue that hair tests only identify the presence of illegal drugs in the body. They don’t identify when they were used, which doesn’t necessarily mean applicants or drivers are actively using drugs.
• Small trucking companies and owner-operators also oppose the Trucking Alliance’s request. They feel the larger carriers’ hair testing policies are not standardized and therefore cannot be applied equally across the entire industry.

Read the original article here: FreightWaves – FMCSA denies carrier’s request to report truck driver hair tests.

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