Question

The fact that this career didn't mean enough to you to stop smoking even after your CDL, again calls into question your judgment. You knew there was going to be a test coming up, you smoked anyway, sorry I'm not feeling any sympathy for you.

 

Nope. You have no business driving

 

Don't matter. Find a different way of making a living.

 

Prescription drugs are just as bad as street drugs.

 

The DOT 5-Panel drug test only screens for Amphetamines, Opiates (which metabolize into MORPHINE, this excludes all synthetic opioids), cocaine, benzos, and marijuana.

It's actually pretty crazy how much you can get away with putting in your body, while circumventing this outdated model of drug testing.

The DOT 5-panel was introduced in the 1980's, when crack and heroin were the epidemic, and Rx drugs were prescribed by your friendly and trustworthy doctor. There was no opioid epidemic back then, like we know it now. It's funny how the DOT 5-panel doesn't pick up synthetic opioid use and abuse, because it only detects drugs which metabolize into morphine . That excludes like, 90% of accessible painkillers available. A preliminary piss test will probably show positive for opiates. But then the secondary testing will confirm, that there is in fact no technical violation. The DOT test cannot detect many painkillers of abuse.

And because doctors probably view those "morphine metabolite" drugs as more dangerous, more addictive, and more liability on their end; they're less likely to prescribe them. The end result, is the painkiller use usually flies under the radar, these days.

 

In the case of new hires they are in most cases hired contingent on passing that drug screen. I see your point and in the basic abstract I agree, however the FMCSA does not see it that way. You and I both know most pre hire screens are done at orientation. Most carriers report orientations to DAC. If you don't get through for whatever reason they will report it. This whole thing at some point will become a moot point when this MRO positive database gets up. When this happens once that MRO puts your positive (remember refusals are considered a positive) in this database your done as a driver until you finish that SAP/return to duty process.