At Platinum Drivers CDL driver staffing and placement service, we work to help truck drivers find employment in Texas, Atlanta, and Louisiana. One of the most important areas of the employment process is drug and alcohol testing. Clean drivers are critical in keeping roads safe and trucks arriving on time.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has proposed a new rule that would make it much easier for trucking companies to check potential employees for past incidences involving drugs or alcohol.
The rule would create the Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, a federal database to keep track of failed drug or alcohol tests and refusals to submit to such tests, as well as successful completions of substance abuse programs that allow drivers to return to the road. Trucking companies, Medical Review Officers, Substance Abuse Professionals, and third party USDOT drug and alcohol testing laboratories would all be required to submit these instances to the Clearinghouse.
Trucking companies are already required to run a pre-employment screening of new hires, but this rule would require them to check the Clearinghouse, both before hiring an employee and once a year thereafter.
To protect the privacy of CDL holders, they will have the option to refuse consent for their employer to check the database, but they would be prohibited from being employed in safety sensitive positions, which includes the operation of a commercial motor vehicle.
The proposed rule was directed by congress through the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. It is widely expected to be enacted sometime later this year. For more information and updates on the proposed rule, visit the FMCSA website.
At Platinum Drivers, we put high emphasis on protecting truck drivers and others on the road by providing information on drug and alcohol testing to the drivers we match with employers. If you’re interested in CDL driver staffing and placement services in Texas, Atlanta, and Louisiana, contact us today.