When the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) first introduced the Clearinghouse database and it went into law and it began regulating drug and alcohol tests for all commercially licensed drivers as of January 6, 2020, there were many questions about how the program would work and IF it would work to keep impaired commercial drivers off the road.
A report published in July 2021 in Freight Waves shows that while the numbers of drivers being banned for drugs and alcohol may be going up steadily, that the Clearinghouse Rule is doing what it was meant to do in supporting the United States Department of Transportation Strategic Goal of Safety.
Violation Trends
According to federal data, the number of U.S. truck drivers sidelined due to substance abuse violations has surpassed 60,000 and continues to climb by roughly 2,000-3,000 per month.
Further analysis of the data shows that, “since January 2020, 60,299 CDL holders have a drug or alcohol violation recorded in the clearinghouse as of June 1, 2020. This is up from 57,510 as of May 1, 2020, and up from 18,860 recorded in the Clearinghouse as of May 1, 2020.”
What Does a Violation Mean?
When a truck or bus driver has at least one substance (alcohol or drug use) violation, they are barred from operating a commercial vehicle until they have completed a Return-To-Duty (RTD) program including retesting and meeting with a substance abuse professional for support, education programs, or rehabilitation.
A negative follow-up test result is required to get back behind the wheel of a rig or bus and employers are mandated to follow these procedures for returning to work after a violation.
A violation could mean a failed drug test. The top substances that cause a failed test result include marijuana, cocaine, and amphetamines.
What The Increases Positivity Rate Means
Over the past year and a half, the trucking industry has been stressed to a breaking point.
Transporting vital medical products, vaccines, and hospital equipment (such as ventilators) has been one of the key tasks of the trucking industry. Keeping needed products moving in the supply chain has also been a top priority for the trucking industry.
With commercial drivers putting in more hours on the roads, retired drivers leaving in large numbers, and a major shortfall of drivers, the trucking industry is under major strain.
Experts in the field of trucking and supply chain report that seeing an increase in positivity reports is actually not always a bad thing. It means that the database is doing what it was designed to do - remove impaired drivers off the road to increase safety on American roads.
According to Consulting expert Sean Garney, “The database is doing what it’s supposed to do, which is identify those who should not be driving. Losing drivers due to positive drug tests may not necessarily be a good thing for truck capacity, but I think what many others in this industry also care about is safety.”