It's good to see a solid reference instead of people guessing. However, you know why all the questions get asked is from someone that has something to worry about. When the program started there were plenty of screwups that could cost a driver his or her career. I've seen lost of custody so many times I'd stop right there and call the boss. Only my experience from the military kept me from some bogus testing. We even had one driver that set off the alcohol sniffer at the scale house because he just got done loading a tanker full of gasoline with ethanol in it. But back then everyone wanted to jump at the positive results and crucify the guy. Luckily, the program has settled down and the testing is becoming almost 100% reliable. It's just the drivers now that need to learn. So I'm glad you're here and maybe you can put some fears to rest.

Originally Posted by GasHauler

It's good to see a solid reference instead of people guessing. However, you know why all the questions get asked is from someone that has something to worry about. When the program started there were plenty of screwups that could cost a driver his or her career. I've seen lost of custody so many times I'd stop right there and call the boss. Only my experience from the military kept me from some bogus testing. We even had one driver that set off the alcohol sniffer at the scale house because he just got done loading a tanker full of gasoline with ethanol in it. But back then everyone wanted to jump at the positive results and crucify the guy. Luckily, the program has settled down and the testing is becoming almost 100% reliable. It's just the drivers now that need to learn. So I'm glad you're here and maybe you can put some fears to rest.

I hope that folks will post here. I'm the first to admit that I don't know everything about anything, but I have encountered most drug and alcohol testing scenarios when I worked as a TPA and collector, BAT (breath alcohol technician). And if I don't know, I do have a good idea where to look in the regs and will be happy to do so.

You're right about the programs. Just like many things, they've gotten better and better over time. Today's programs are very fair and very accurate.

Alright so here is a question. If a driver gets off say at 5, goes home and has 3 or 4 or 5 beers, will they blow a positive the next morning say if they're done drinking by 9 or 10pm? I don't drink during the work week but I think it's a fair question. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Meltom

As long as you have glaucoma, or another condition that requires you to medicate with marijuana during a reset it's ok. So if you have conditions like, bored, tired, lazy, just wanna get stoned, or fibromyalgia go for it.

Not sure if you're kidding with the previous poster or not.

But just in case: That's not correct.

Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. So, technically all these states that have "medical marijuana laws" in place are in violation of federal law as federal law still fails to recognize that smoking marijuana has any "valid medical use", etc.

In my prior experience, the ONLY "valid medical reason" for the presence of THC in a donor's urine would be if they have a current, valid prescription for a drug called Marinol, which is basically THC in a pill form. Marinol is typically prescribed to cancer patients.

Now I do realize that there have been people who have smoked marijuana for medical reasons, and in fact have been provided it by the federal government, for years. In fact, I live just a few miles from the only legal grow operation run by the US government. That operation is run by the University of Mississippi and that is the source for the marijuana that the government provides to those handful of patients who do receive it.

However, DOT makes no exception for those uses.

Here's the link to their opinion on medical marijuana: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regul...aspx#question1

It reads:

1. Can a driver be qualified if taking prescribed medical marijuana?


No. Drivers taking medical marijuana cannot be certified.

Originally Posted by andy

Alright so here is a question. If a driver gets off say at 5, goes home and has 3 or 4 or 5 beers, will they blow a positive the next morning say if they're done drinking by 9 or 10pm? I don't drink during the work week but I think it's a fair question. Thanks.

It is a fair question and one that impacts a LOT of folks.

There are a couple of variables involved in that scenario that weren't provided.

How much does the driver weigh?

What time did they start drinking and what time did they have their last beer?