Are truckers drug tested on the road? They should be. I'm wondering how often are truckers tested? And how often are they tested with the hair folicle test since that is the best way to find the druggies???

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Usually when they are suspected, or when they F up.
For general purposes, they are "randomly" tested.
DoT can test you randomly as well, from what I've read.
When I started I was so hoping for a hair test. I can't stand the cup.
I'd rather chew on fiberglass than piss in a cup.
But it's faster for the DoT screen with the cup I guess, and costs less.
I gotta go back and do it again, since I interupted my training. I'd give hair or blood just to get out of doing my buisness into a cup.
I dunno, prolly some psych thing.
Some don't care, other's just can't go in a cup.

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God Bless America and her Heroes. And thank You for the privilege to serve.

For the most part a hair folice test is the strongest because it can test farther back. For that reason it is not very necessary in the trucking industry.

We are drug tested 3 times immediately. Once when you start school, again the same week when you take your DOT phsycal and a third time 2 weeks later when you begin orientation.

From there you are subject to random tests from your company and law enforcement at any time. Even in a parking lot in the middle of the night. Every weight station, permit check point or even patrol car you see is a potential drug test for any one of us. Then each company is required to test a certain % of its fleet each month. To do that means they generally test any driver traveling near a terminal. Your truck is usually in a terminal every 60 days or les for service. A safe bet is that you will be ested then. Usually before then is likely on a random basis. But at the very least once every 60 days.

A urine test may not be able to tell you what a driver did 3 weeks ago. But it can tell you if he is clean right now. And frankly speaking the drivers I have seen with problems cant maintain a level of sobreity to get past the testing for very long. Most drivers know that when you are in that truck you are subject to higher level of testing and with lower tolerance levels than anyone else alive. So most simply say no.

Truth is drunk driving accidents are more often than not the result of a 4 wheeler. How many trucks do you hear of being drunk and in an accident? How many cars? The numbers alone say the industry does a very god job of making sure we are clean and operating with as clear a head as possible. I love the fact that they do this, and am happy with the results it gives us.

If a hair folice test could better those results sure I am all for it. But I dont honestly believe they could do any better than they do now. Did you know a truck driver cant use the same mouthwash that is in your bathroom? That will test us drunk. We could loose our jobs abd careers over mouthwash. Most all medications are that way as well. We have to be extremely careful what we take even in the form of legel meds or hygiene products. If we are forced to consider a new brand of mouthwash surely we realize the problems getting drunk or high would cause?!

You need to get yourself a copy of the FMCSR, pal. Carefully read Parts 382 and 40. Now reread Subpart D 40.41 and 40.43. This is how the law reads. I don't think it's in anyone's interest for you to be posting a load of crap that has no basis in fact. It confuses the other rookies and students.
rx

So what is the real answer to the question? Or how can I find the a copy of FMCSR so I can read for myself?

Thanks,

Manny

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Here is the 100% foolproof way to never have to worry about a piss test as long as you drive a truck: Just stay straight. Drink a little on your off days and leave all the pot and the coke and all the rest of the illegal stuff alone.

There, now you will never fail a drug screen.

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Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
-Mark Twain

Now this is a post I can agree with 100%

You can google FMCSA and you can read the rules on the net.

Ok then could you please point out your facts?

The parts you told me to look up are as follows....

Part 382
<DIV>Subpart A - General
§382.101 Purpose.
The purpose of this part is to establish programs designed to help prevent accidents and injuries resulting from the misuse of alcohol or use of controlled substances by drivers of commercial motor vehicles.

[66 FR 43103,

FMCSR seemed to crash to crash after that one. Thats all I could get.

I am one of those rookies you mention. I apologize if I am wrong but are you saying that the DOT and our employer does NOT have a right to perform random tests? I was told in school, by my safety director and by my trainer that they could. They could all be wrong and none of them have a right to test us, but please enlighten me if I am mistaken?

The fmcsr website seems to be acting up right now so I cant get the exact wording of the law. But the law as I understand it means we are subject to testing a LOT more often and with lower tolerances (meaning a CDL holder can only blow .04 a class D driver can blow .0 than others are. So my point was more frequent testing and lower standards required to pass the tests. Maybe the diff is I was reffering to alcohol and I think the topic is reffering to drug use? Or maybe I am just flat out wrong. Either way I will stick to what I learned and drive alcohol and drug free. If I am wrong, I will gladly be that way. I know the letter of the law says that if you stop drinking 12 hours prior to being available for dispatch you are legal. You and I both know 12 hours later you can still pop hot. Best way is just be clean. So is that also wrong? Are you telling me I should run drunk? or High? Or is it simply a misunderstanding of the way I worded things in the first post? Whichever the case I will continue to run sober and if that means I feed false information to rookies and students and cause them to run sober....good for me!!!

To straighten out some of the confusion here, first, what was referred to above was what one specific company does for it's drug testing program, not the statndard set industry wide. If they tested when you started school, and the fololowing times, that is their decision and right as part of the training program. It is not mandated by the rules governing drivers. Drug testing is normally conducted under three conditions, as part of initial hire, as part of a random sampling of company employees, and as part of an as needed basis when just cause is present. This third one includes post accident testing, and testing due to suspicion of impairment. And suspicion of impairment has to be determined by a supervisor who has completed the required course and training to make the determination.

While a company could conceivably test you each time you came through a terminal, doing so would not meet the legal requirements for random testing. usually, the determination of who is eligible for random testing will be handled by a 3rd party outside the company, contracted to handle such matters. Usually the company will test 10% of it's people monthly, meaning that the odds are that you will be tested randomly a little more than once a year. You will be contacted by a supervisor, and at that point informed of the need for the random sample, and at that point the clock will start ticking on the time limits for the sample to be provided.

Almost all drug tests can determine drug use within the past 30 days, whether using urine samples or other physical matter such as hair. As far as alcohol use is concerned, the standards for a commercial driver are stronger, so any recent alcohol use is a concern. i would not drink within 12 hours of getting behind the wheel, since even if technically sober, you till face the physical aftereffects of alcohol use, and that can limit your effectiveness and safety behind the wheel.

While various legal encounters such as scales can result in testing, it is so rare as to be unheard of. Since most law officers require reasonable cause to perform such tests, they are rarely performed. Yiou are much more likely to encounter issues with your logbook, mechanical condition, or paperwork than you ever are to be randomly tested at a scalehouse.

Bottom line, if you do no drugs and control your alcohol wisely, it's not an issue that you hve to worry about. if you have reason to worry, the system will catch up to you, and you will be out of this profession soon.

The pocket FMCSA regs can be found at most truckstops. I carry a copy in my truck at all times, our company provides them to us, along with the hazmat regs.