Commercial trucking is a noble profession because you are getting people the supplies they need to live their lives. It is a very hard job because of all the hours a driver has to spend on the road. Driving is physically demanding, and you need to have a lot of energy to do it. Unfortunately, some drivers take drugs to keep themselves awake or deal with the job’s physical demands.
The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration takes driver sobriety very seriously. A person must never drive a truck when they are on controlled substances. Simplex Group will ensure drivers get tested quickly and safely.
There are certain prescription drugs that are forbidden by the FMCSA. If you have a prescription for marijuana or a narcotic drug, you will be ineligible to drive a commercial truck.
Both interstate and intrastate trucking companies must have an official drug and alcohol testing program for their drivers. Any company that has commercial drivers operating on public roads must have such a program.
If you think that trucking companies are being singled out in this way, they are not. Both civic and religious organizations are required to have a drug-testing program if they ever transport their members or clients anywhere by bus or van.
When a driver takes a drug test, you will have to fill out a Chain of Custody Form. This form must stay in your records for three years. Simplex Group will make sure that the form is filled out correctly and filed appropriately. There are several different situations in which a trucking company is required to test its drivers for drugs.
Pre-Employment Drug Tests
Before commercial drivers can start driving for you, you must run a Clearing House query to make sure the driver is non-prohibited, run an MVR, and make sure they pass a drug test. You will include the record of the test in the driver’s file, and will test for five different substances:
- Marijuana
- Cocaine
- Amphetamines
- Opioids
- PCP
A driver must test negative in all areas before they can begin driving. If a driver has had a drug test in the past 30 days and if they have not violated rules in the last six months, they may not be required to take a drug test.
Can you do on-site drug testing?
Trucking companies will outsource drug testing. The people who administer drug tests go through a DOT collector training class to know how to do drug tests in a way that respects drivers’ privacy.A person will learn how to administer a full range of drug testing when they train to be a DOT drug administrator, get certified as a USDOT drug test collector, and complete 8-hour breath alcohol technician training classes.
Random Drug Tests
Drug testing would be easier if you could just do it on the first Tuesday of each month, but this is not the way it works. The FMCSA requires a trucking company to perform a certain number of random drug tests per year. Simplex Group can help you determine how many tests you will need to give in a year and how often you will need to give them. The number of tests you have to give and the frequency will depend upon the size of your company.
It used to be that your company’s DER (designated employer rep) could pick an individual within your company to be in charge of arranging drug tests. Today you must have an outside designated employer rep, or TPA to do the drivers selection for the random tests due in a specific quarter. Random drug and alcohol testing is important for public safety, as are roadside and work site collections for drug testing.
Simplex Group offers its Consortium program, Random Drug and Alcohol test, for Owners Operators.
Post-Accident Drug Tests
By the FMCSA regulations, you must test your drivers for drugs or alcohol after they have a recordable accident. An accident is considered recordable if there is disabling damage to a vehicle. If a person was injured due to the fault of your driver, a citation was issued, someone in the scene was transported in an ambulance, or if the accident resulted in a fatality, you must test the driver for drugs.
Reasonable Suspicion
If one of your drivers comes into work staggering around and appears to be on drugs or drunk, it is always a very good idea to give them a test. Your employment agreement should always state that you have the right to test your drivers randomly.
Return to Duty
If a driver has been suspended for testing positive for drugs or had an accident while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they will need to have a negative drug test before returning to duty. If a driver refuses to take a drug test when they are asked, they will have to take a return to duty test before they can resume driving a truck.
Follow Up
In addition to taking a return to duty test, a driver who has tested positive for drugs will have to have periodic follow-up tests. You must test a driver six times within a 12-month period in this circumstance.
You can rest easy with Simplex Group in your corner
When Simplex Group partners with a new trucking company, you will never have to worry about storing your drug testing records properly. We can help arrange for drug testing services as well. Offering pre-employment background checks for all of the companies we partner with is par for the course for Simplex Group. We can help you monitor everything from your driver’s hours and on-site drug and alcohol testing to arranging for site collections for drugs. We are every bit as committed to your success as you are. Give us a call today.