The increasing number of full queries made into the federal Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse is evidence that the database is taking drug abusers off the road as intended, according to a trucking regulatory expert.
According to the latest monthly statistics released Monday by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, full queries into the clearinghouse increased 33% to 13,785 between October and November, which followed a 61% increase between September and October. Full queries are conducted by employers on current drivers after receiving a “hit” on those drivers through a limited query.
A major motivation for the FMCSA’s clearinghouse, which opened on Jan. 6, was to close a loophole that had allowed drivers with drug or alcohol violations to get hired by trucking companies by lying about test failures.
“Drivers with violations are getting caught in the clearinghouse net, as intended,” David Osiecki, president and CEO of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting, told FreightWaves.
Also of note in the latest statistics, Osiecki said, was a 54% month-over-month increase in the number of limited queries into the database. “This is a clear sign employers are complying with the annual query requirement for their current drivers,” he said.
Employers — including owner-operators operating under their own authority — are required to run at least one query of their employees per year. The requirement can be met by conducting either a full or limited query. Employers have until Jan. 5 to perform their first annual query.
Osiecki pointed out one concerning trend throughout the 11 months that the clearinghouse has been up and running: the low percentage of drivers with violations who have been treated and cleared for return to duty, which affects overall driver retention in the trucking industry.
While that percentage has increased from roughly 5% earlier in the year to 11% in November, the number is “still stubbornly low,” he said, and “bears close watching going forward.”
Meanwhile, the number of drivers failing drug tests fell 12.7% in November compared to the previous month. As of Dec. 1, marijuana has been by far the No. 1 substance identified in 50,627 positive drug tests submitted since the clearinghouse began operating in January, at 53%. Cocaine was next at 14.3%, followed by methamphetamines at 9%.
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Terry Flaugmbaugh
Many driver’s from Try Us Transportation in Ceres California are showing up at Pilots truck stops from California to Arizona New Mexico , texas, Louisiana even Nevada and Oklahoma getting caught with prostitutes & in possession of illicit street drugs by law enforcement agencies .The company takes no responsibility for any of their driver’s and refuses to replace these drug users who drive long haul for them. Something to think about before considering them for handling any of our merchandise.
Saul Aguilera
I been driving since 95 and used to be fun now it’s bs starting with the brokers I’m so glad that most of them are worst than me last month the company that I work for had to closed down because of business and the crazy insurance so highly so here I’m with no work and never bother the government to help me out and now with this pandemic can’t even get help because I been self employed so I lost alway around so I probably new year looking to even work frying burgers and probably doing better God bless y’all my deer drivers and keep the good faith
Randy Langmaid
Drugs and alcohol can be tested for in the field, cell phone usage?,the real reason behind distracted driving, test for that!
Randy Langmaid
I wasn’t even driving, hadn’t for at least 20 years, I live with chronic pain and the only thing that helps is staying busy, I’m a top driver not to pat myself on the back but have military awards for top of class, I’m under waite and the doctor suggested cbd, I stopped using it but not long enough before my pre-employment urine test I have been black balled eversince, congratulations on keeping people that want to work unemployed by the way I have passed every test since and will continue to do so, I guess you would rather pay full disability for a good driver not to go to work!
steve durham
Imagine the poor soul truck driver who has an accident, runs over some driver paying zero attention ,or any kind of accident where someone is hurt or killed.
We know the bloodthirsty injury lawyers are on speed dial waiting with buzzard breath to RIP apart a truckers life,regardless of outcome. jail time likely.. Its real..its damn real.
Ha! Momma didnt raise no fools. Hell no ,not me,kiss my ass trucking. I got by for 34 yrs,good lord riding with me every mile no doubt but I’m not pushing my luck no more. The state can have my cdl,i dont need em anymore.
SMOKESTACK …out!!
Tom Thompson
The reason the numbers are up on the drivers not completing the return to duty process is because you need an employer to send you for a drug test. Nobody will hire someone in the clearinghouse so we as drivers will not be able to drive again . You would be better off not paying the $500 to jump through all the hoops and still never drive again. There needs to be a class action lawsuit filed on this process.
Jim Romandy
You seem to not see the forest from the trees.
{ I don’t do drugs or drink alcohol.}
Driving imparred or being near machinery are serious safety hazzards. Where I work, an innovate safety program is implemented. Every Monday all employees must participate in the online safety program, no matter if they perform a safety sensitive job or just a desk jockey.
It is one of the unique companies that has a goal to ensure that you leave work the same (healthy) condition you started the day with.
My type of person is is extreme demand ( 20 years + full endorsements). The comments in this article should be seriously evaluated, as their validity is quite true. But, the big brother government, especially over the last decade, has destroyed a once rewarding career.
We are all different, that is what makes us all unique. Some folks are addicted to Cheetos yet some to Mountain Dew.
Oh, I am one of the best abusers of both of these two items. The previous company I had worked for, the boss/owner had a corranary attack from this over indulgence and now is 6 foot under .
Fact:
Drugs and alcohol impair judgement. It affects not only that person but also those around them.
But, ponder this current event issue:
Joke Biden + his dopey son Hunter and Kameltoe will be strutting the White House this time next month. What examples will they display?
Perhaps it’s okay if your son is a crack head and your associate is a hoe.
Perhaps it’s okay if Senator Mitch McConnell is married to a $33 million dollar China gal (Chao) and is gifted with the title of Secretary of Transportation. And she doesn’t even have a CDL.
So, we all lose in the long run. I’ve resigned to the fact that I will never participate in any “main stream” trucking company ever again. I’ve resigned to the fact of living on $18k per year rather than $44k year. The company I work for knows they have one dam good driver for dirt cheap wages. { Welcome to your new banana republic, professional drivers }
Robbie
I don’t understand how they’re claiming any of this as success. When you force an entire industry to participate. How could it not be a success? But what’s bs is taking anyone that fails, automatically labeling them “abusers” is ridiculous. Especially when most accidents are caused by “distracted driving”. It’s all control, you say you’re making the world safer. When really…you’re just assholes.
ScamAlerttress
Amen – just spent $350 on a SAP who was a completely creepy asshole who couldn’t have cared less about my stupid mistake (if I was an addict do you honestly believe I’d do a preemployment piss test??) and only cared about the money. He had me meet him at a fast food joint and proceeded to ask me if I was using a stage name (because he thought my name was so cool) and he did some ridiculous tests that he said resulted in me having a 10th grade education and being closed minded.
I just looked at this Freak, with my recently acquired degree in psychology and thought WTF?!?!
This guy is holding my entire future in his hands! I was assigned 6 hours of education (the minimum allowed) for something I’m well-educated in already.
I chose an “educator” who would do it all the next day, a Saturday, and who charged $250, who was fantastic and said I’d be an asset to any company – and oh yeah, and that I obviously don’t have a drug or alcohol problem.
None of the companies who use Clearinghouse will even look at me.
So, before you waste your money, go look for small companies who don’t use that BS.
It’s a complete control, moneymaking scam.