News

For many employers it can be a stressful and confusing time when an employee tests positive on a DOT mandated drug or alcohol test.  Does the employer now have to “DO” anything?  Must the employee be fired?  How long will the driver be out?  Can the driver be re-hired?  The key is to precisely follow the DOT regulations in order to handle the situation correctly and maintain regulatory compliance.

By ASAP

To ensure you are prepared on January 6, 2020, when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse) becomes operational, we want to remind you about an upcoming change related to recording information on the Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form (CCF) and Alcohol Testing Form (ATF). 

By Mike Adams, Forbes

By Valentina Sanchez, CNBC

By Matt Cole, Overdrive

By Katelyn Newman, US News

By Transport Topics

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s update to its Medical Examiners Handbook is a step closer to completion. The handbook serves as a guideline for physicians who use it to assess truck driver health.

By American Automobile Association Newsroom

By Neil Abt, American Trucker

By Quest Diagnostics

Clearinghouse launched a new FAQs page with more than 50 questions and answers. The page is now searchable, by topic or user type. If you are unable to find the answer you are looking for or if you have additional questions you can also email the Clearinghouse- clearinghouse@dot.gov .

On June 20, 2019 a Federal Register Notice and Request for Comments was published concerning FMCSA Agency Information Collection Activities. The Clearinghouse implementation is set for January 2020 and no data has been collected.

By Matt Cole, Overdrive

 By Fleet Owner Staff, American Trucker

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is accepting applications for a pilot program to permit 18-20-year-olds who possess the U.S. military equivalent of a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to operate large trucks in interstate commerce.

By Nadia Kounang, CNN

By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay

The opioid epidemic has been fueled in part by the overprescribing of painkillers. But a new study finds that up to half of patients may not actually need the addictive pills following a surgery. The finding could be a game-changer for post-op care, said lead researcher Dr. Michael Englesbe.

The Clearinghouse will improve highway safety by helping employers, FMCSA, State Driver Licensing Agencies, and State law enforcement to quickly and efficiently identify drivers who are not legally permitted to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) due to drug and alcohol program violations. This secure online database will provide access to real-time information, ensuring that drivers committing these violations complete the necessary steps before getting back behind the wheel, or performing any other safety-sensitive function.

In recent years, we’ve seen a growing interest in the development of therapies and other FDA-regulated consumer products derived from cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) and its components, including cannabidiol (CBD). This interest spans the range of product categories that the agency regulates. For example, we’ve seen, or heard of interest in, products containing cannabis or cannabis derivatives that are marketed as human drugs, dietary supplements, conventional foods, animal foods and drugs, and cosmetics, among other things.

BY Robert Preidt, HealthDay 

People who are thwarted in their attempts to "shop around" for prescription opioid painkillers at doctors' offices and pharmacies may try to get the drugs via relatives as a last resort, researchers report.

By National Institute on Drug Abuse

By Quest Diagnostics

This interactive map shows urine drug test positivity by 3-digit zip code in the United States. The Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index™ is a comprehensive analysis of workforce drug use trends. This map is an analysis of the combined U.S. workforce.

By Gene Balk, Seattle Times

It’s probably not a good idea — and it can’t be great for productivity — but that’s not stopping a lot of Washingtonians from doing it.

I’m talking about getting high at work.

One in four marijuana users who are employed admit to doing this within the past year, according to a new survey of cannabis consumers in Washington, Oregon and Colorado, three states where recreational weed is legal.

By Michael Gold, New York Times

Most employers in New York City would no longer be able to force job applicants to take drug tests for marijuana use, under a bill overwhelmingly approved this week by the City Council.

If the drug-screening law is enacted, it would put New York in relatively uncharted territory. Several drug policy and employment experts said that they did not know of similar laws on the books, even in states that have legalized marijuana.

By Cynthia Gould, ABC News

Drug users will go to extremes to beat a drug test. One trick they use is synthetic urine. Now seventeen states are moving to ban it. Alabama may be next in line. State Rep. Arnold Mooney of Shelby County is drafting legislation for a ban, but it is not ready to be filed.

The products look like the real thing and are even packed with hand warmers to get them to the right temperature.