FMCSA'S 'Return-to-Duty' Program: Off-ramp to a Goat Trail to a Dead End

Man... you caught a bad break here. I feel bad for you, but you'll have to face the facts and understand that you made a slight error in judgment. True enough, inexperienced drivers don't know that leaving a facility can cause a refusal or fail, but drivers that come into the industry know enough to understand that you are subject to randoms and you gotta have these tests. I think your impatience messed you up here. If you had waited just a little but longer, you'd still be working.

You gotta stop blaming your DM. It really ain't his job to supervise you out here, as he ain't your supervisor per se. Driver and DM is more like a partnership. If anything, the DM works for you. A company the size of Western Express, it's probably more on safety to orchestrate the drug test.

Finally, the regs may say a company can hire you after SAP. The regs also say a dirty drug test keeps a driver out for 3 years. That also means that it isn't a foregone conclusion that a driver that completes SAP will be able to get on with a reputable company. Per the recruiter where I work, any drug amd alcohol issue stops them from hiring a driver for 3 years, even if they wanted to. That isn't limited solely to drug tests. It could be DUIs, and other issues of that sort. They have the right to turn down a driver that has a fail or refusal on his or her record. They may not want to deal with the headache of frequent drug testing. Many companies hide behind that 3 year rule. That's absolutely the minimum you'll have to wait to get on with the majority of companies. Some will make you 5, 7, 10 years. Some will never touch you.

All that being said, now that you have finished SAP, it will be difficult, but not impossible to find some work. You'll have to be prepared to work somewhere that may not be the best in the world. I failed one in 2011 and it took me 8 years to get back to a reputable company. It wouldn't have taken me so long had I been informed of the 3 year rule. 7 months after I failed, I got a local job with Dr. Pepper/Snapple. Try to get a job in foodservice or hauling beverages. Just be honest on the application. Take a look at some 1099 jobs as well. It's definitely not the best route, but you can earn some money and gain experience at the same time. Get on somewhere, stay out of trouble, and work on gaining some patience. You'll need that in trucking. Good luck to ya driver.

 

Try these folks.

We are hiring Company Drivers

Yes it's a Chicagoland company. I know everybody is going to #### on this idea but I don't care and you shouldn't either. You should try to do what's necessarily to keep your skills up if you really want to get back to a good place.

 

Doesn't matter what you believed that's not how it works. The right thing to do would have been to stop and call somebody to get answers so if your DM was not any help you should have gone up the chain. When a driver is told to go take a random that's what needs to get done and takes priority over everything. The load will have to be late, wait, rescheduled or whatever - none of which is a big deal - your livelihood on the other hand is.

 

I hear ya too man. They took the advice. What you must understand is that even if you didn't fail or refuse, perception is reality. That's an uphill battle to climb. You say aren't on drugs. I believe you. Never said I didn't believe you. I feel badly for your situation. However, what you and I believe don't matter to FMCSA. Things do happen. Nonetheless man, I'm glad that you're landing on your feet. Did you land a driving job?