Carrying a business license involves fulfilling certain obligations, such as a medical examination and alcohol and drug tests. In this article, we will focus on drug tests, which are required in the following cases: pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion, return to work, follow-up testing and after an accident.
For many, getting an alcohol or drug test can be uncomfortable. It is a time-consuming and stressful task. For this reason, we believe that receiving information about it will help you understand the test better.
Pre-employment: All trucking companies, by mandate of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, have a legal responsibility to ensure that their commercial drivers take a drug test and verify the negative results before allowing them to operate commercial vehicles. Not waiting to receive the result is a serious violation.
Random: These drug tests are also part of this mandate, and as of January 1, 2020, the percentage doubled to 50%. It means that now, in the four random tests of the year, half of the drivers in a fleet are required to take a drug test. They should keep in mind that the chances of you being chosen are much higher now with this new regulation, so we recommend that you take it easy.
After an accident: Companies must require their drivers to take an alcohol and drug test if there were deaths, injuries, a vehicle was towed away or if the driver received a ticket for the accident. The alcohol test must be done no later than eight hours after the accident, and the drug test no more than 32 hours.
Reasonable suspicion: This test should be carried out when the person has obvious signs of drunkenness or use of controlled substances.
Whatever the circumstances for which you will take a drug test, we recommend that you be prepared. If you are taking medication, make sure to keep it on hand and report it, as some prescription medications can cause a false positive result on the drug test. In this case, you may have to schedule another test, and you will need to provide proof of the legality of the prescription. In addition, if a commercial vehicle driver carries mouthwash in their truck, it’s advisable to choose one that says it does not contain alcohol. As a Class "A" carrier you have the obligation to follow the rules and fully comply with them.