Data comparing pre-employment drug tests of truck driver applicants found evidence that thousands of habitual drug users are slipping through the federal drug screening system.
Compiled by the Alliance for Driver Safety & Security (known as the Trucking Alliance), whose members include major truckload operators J.B. Hunt [NASDAQ: JBHT], U.S. Xpress [NYSE: USX] and Knight-Swift Transportation [NYSE: KNX], the “first of its kind” survey found that while 94 percent of the urinalysis and hair analysis of 151,662 applicants tested drug-free, thousands failed either or both tests.
Based on what the Trucking Alliance asserted is a “statistically valid sample” of 3.5 million commercial drivers, the survey projects with a 99 percent confidence level and less than 1 percent margin of error that 301,000 truck drivers currently on the road would fail or refuse a hair analysis.
“We have a huge drug abuse problem in the trucking industry, and should actually purge an estimated 300,000 commercial drivers to clean it up,” said Trucking Alliance Managing Director Lane Kidd in a statement. “No wonder truck accidents are on the rise.”
The results of the survey were recently submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as well as to the U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Highway Subcommittee before its hearing today (June 12) on the state of the trucking industry.
“The T&I Subcommittee can intervene to mitigate this problem,” the Alliance stated in comments to the subcommittee. The group wants lawmakers to urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to complete hair test guidelines, which were mandated under the FAST Act surface transportation legislation in 2015 but have yet to be rolled out.
“Until DOT recognizes a hair analysis, no employer will be allowed to submit hair test failures into the pending USDOT Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. This will make it virtually impossible for another employer to know if a person applying for a truck driver job has previously failed a drug test,” according to the Alliance.
Testifying at the June 12 subcommittee hearing, American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear echoed the group’s concern. “[The hair-test guidelines] have been sitting at HHS for three years. DOT is ready to move forward on this. Get on HHS and get this thing done.”
The Alliance pointed out that DOT currently recognizes only urinalysis as a drug test method, allowing employers to require additional test methods as part of employer hiring practices. However, “a growing number of trucking company employers, including Trucking Alliance carriers, require a second drug test, a hair analysis, as part of their pre-employment truck driver hiring policies.”
Using urinalysis alone missed nine out of 10 illegal drug users, according to the Alliance survey. Cocaine was the most prevalent drug that tested positive, followed by opioids and marijuana. “Applicants who failed or refused the hair test were disqualified for employment at these companies, but likely obtained the same job elsewhere, at companies that administer only a urinalysis.”
Some trucking experts contend that, while needed, more rigid federal guidelines and enforcement of drug testing will make it more difficult to seat drivers.
Joe
I think society should pay at every point of sale for a government mandated minimum wage of .40 cpm. or $20.00 an hour, whichever is greater. Americans need to pony up for the sacrifice that drivers are making to deliver their goods. Banking, insurance, investments AND EVEN MEDICAL industries cannot hold a candle to the importance of the transportation industry powered by the sacrifice of the truck driver.
Eddie
Those are 1980’s wages.
justin ethridge
The truth is the ata is at fault for the high accident rates. When you employ people who can barely speak english. And have almost no time behind the wheel of a personal vehicle to begin with. It’s just an accident waiting to happen. What Congress should do is inspect the rates of accidents these Mega Carriers cause vs. Mom and Pop style trucking companies.
T Lea
i got my tractor trailer license in 2000 I said this when I was making 25 cent a mile with Werner out of Lithonia, GA. The truck driver driver industry is full of drug addicts, alcoholics and pedophiles and rapists. How do I know I played cards and dominoes with them. They also have poor hygiene, milk jugs of urine in the truck and poor health I seen guys with a huge account and carrying a lot of money who will not get their teeth fixed to save their lives.
Eddie
This is how the life is. Sometimes it will be a week before I find a place I can pour out some urine. Sometimes 5 days or more before a shower. Companies could care less about our feelings.
Virgini
True
MacNeto
Bad associations spoils useful habits. You are who you hang around T Lea! There are more clean cut drivers,respectable men & women than these dregs of society you mingle with. #SelfSnitchinWhileTryin2ValidateAhComment??
Cynthia Smith
Enough is enough. We have to agree to having every move we make tracked via eld. We have to submit to pre employment, random and accident drug testing immediately following any incident no matter how minor or who is to blame. We have cameras in our truck on the driver as well as the traffic 24/7 not to mention complete medical physicals extremely tight government inspections audits and regulations. We go through numerous check points daily Nothing we have goes unchecked. How about everyone especially the idiot’s that push for tighter regulations abide under the same rules you claim to believe in. By the way fool.. you are probably the same idiot that advocates driverless trucks and granting cdl privileges to 18 year olds! Way to go slick.
MacNeto
You tell’em Cynthia!!?? Let these greedy self righteous Fucktards HAVE IT!!
Smarter Thanyou
Purging the drivers isn’t going to fix the drug problem, but treating truck drivers like human beings instead of animals WILL. I’m tired of these idiots coming up with stupid solutions for simple problems. Try asking WHY before going on your witch hunt. All you’re about to do is drive up the cost of transporting commodities, not to mention the overall cost of commodities which will put a huge strain on our already fragile economy. Good job idiots.
Rick Estrada
Those same IDIOTS don’t realize nor admit that the elds are the major reason why there’s more accidents. It’s all a money grab
Spaghetti Outlaw
I have been a trucker for 23 years. For the most part, the ATA and the Trucking Alliance are crap organizations backed by crap companies. Google the term crap companies and you will find out the treachery that is backing the ATA and the Trucking Alliance. These organizations and companies should be viewed as enemies of all truckers in the U. S.!!!! These outfits would probably kill a trucker for a dollar under the guises of safety!!!
BDK
Just taking the TARGETED PROBLEM and placing behind more and more B.S.
ELD MANDATORY,,,TOOK THE SAFEST WAY WE SHOULD OPERATE,,,,,TIRED. GET OFF THE ROAD,,RAINY ,SNOW,RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE SAME…
0500 IS THE HOUR OF THE REAPER. SO STATS SHOW
NOT THE FACTS THAT A DRIVER PUTS IT IN THE DITCH TOO KEEP FROM INJURIES,,FROM THE MORNING DRIVER THAT DROPPED THE CIGARETTE, SPILLED THE HOT COFFEE,IS GONNA BE 5 MINUTES LATE,TEXTING,CALLING,ANSWERING, ETC ETC..
THEY REAP THE MONEY FOR STUDIES THEY DONT HAVE A CLUE ABOUT
SHOULD BE MANDATORY THAT BEFORE PRSENTING A POSSIBLE STUDY OR CHANGE A RULE OR MAKE RIDICULOUS STATEMENT THAT THE PRESENTATION IS DONE BY A OTR THATS DONE ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS, IN ALL REGIONS,,,,
WE NEED TOO FIRE THE SUITS AND VOTE IN EXPERIENCED OTR,REGIONAL,DOUBLES,HAZMAT DRIVERS TOO MAKE OUR RULINGS
3RD GENERATION. AND LAST. F’M
WW2 MADE THIS COUNTRY. ITS BEING DESTROYED BY
POLITICANS WITH THEIR OWN AGENDA
Carolyn
I worked for a company that did the hair test and I know a lady
who failed it the first time she took it then took
it again a few days later and past it so tell me how this is
going it help if the test aren’t accurate