The latest data from the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse reveals that drug use among commercial drivers may be at its highest level since the federal repository was set up in 2019 — but more are being cleared to drive again as well.
Total drug violations reported into the clearinghouse in 2022, including positive tests and refusals to take a drug test, increased 18% to 69,668 compared with last year’s 59,011, according to the most recent statistics released this week by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. That rate almost doubled the 9.2% annual increase in drug violations reported in 2021.
Much of the increase can be attributed to violations related to marijuana, the substance identified most in positive tests. Marijuana violations increased 31.6% in 2022 compared with 2021, to 40,916. That compares to a 5.3% increase between 2020 and 2021.
In fact, positive drug tests reported into the clearinghouse in 2022 increased in 12 of 14 substances tracked by the database, with only hydrocodone and heroin showing decreases.
Some of the increase in total violations can be attributed to the fact that completed registrations from drivers, employers and third-party organizations have been added each year since the clearinghouse began accepting registrations in September 2019. However, the number of registrations added annually has steadily declined since 2020 as the database gradually fills with all FMCSA-regulated registrants.
Regarding marijuana specifically, there has been speculation that increasingly liberal state marijuana laws could also be a factor — even though federal law preempts state law regarding the use of both medicinal and recreational marijuana by commercial drivers.
“While the numbers are a little jarring, it is clear the clearinghouse is working as intended,” P. Sean Garney, co-director of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting, which specializes in truck safety, regulations and compliance, told FreightWaves.
Garney pointed to data in the report showing that there were double the number of positive tests for preemployment screening versus positive tests taken randomly from drivers last year.
*Total since Jan. 6, 2020. Source: FMCSA
“It’s far more common for a driver to test positive in a preemployment environment, and before the clearinghouse, carriers had no way to know if a driver they were considering was prohibited from operating a [commercial motor vehicle] based on that test,” Garney said. “[This data] shows me the system works.”
In addition, the data shows that more drivers are getting rehabilitated and reentering the trucking workforce, he said. At the end of 2020, only 12.5% of drivers who had tested positive had been cleared to drive again. In 2021 that number increased to 22.7%, and it increased again in 2022 to 27.6%.
Garney also noted that starting on Jan. 6 — after three full years of clearinghouse operation — motor carriers were no longer required to query a driver’s previous employer to request drug and alcohol testing histories, because they are now able to go back three years within the clearinghouse.
“Some carriers have been nervous that eliminating the previous employer inquiry might cause them to miss important information about a driver’s drug testing history,” he said.
However, with more than 3 million drivers and over 443,000 employers registered, “the clearinghouse is operating at full tilt and as intended, making it a great source of truth for this information. This should make wary carriers feel better about streamlining their procedures by using the clearinghouse.”
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Patrick F Kelley
I am one of the drivers ousted for failing a pre employment test….first off I was 20nanograms….5 over the limit….second they do not test for tch….they test for THC metabolite….not the same thing….THC metabolite is the waste product of THC….so wtf….a nanogram is one millionth of a gram….very old rule.and lastly after doing the s.a.p.program it’s impossible to get hired again. Sucks for me
Dave
I disagree with Mr. Bertl’s comment here. For the past fifteen years trucking companies have used the driver shortage to their advantage by replacing the ones that quit or get fired with a classroom full of ten new drivers every three months at the same low mileage pay.
Yochanan Bertl
This is actually great news for driver pay! The more folks get bounced out of the industry for petty drug violations, the fewer drivers there are, and w/ constantly rising demand that means wages will follow!
I’m hoping this trend picks up, since the driver shortage seems to be the only way to get trucking companies to actually pay a good wage that keeps up with inflation 🙂
Willie Nelson
Nothing like a good reefer Madness story…
Thagearjammer
drug testing since 89. So fairly recent 33 years. I stand for freedoms wether I agree with them or not. Out of all the drugs on the list weed is the only one legally available in most states.
Rollinstoned
were held to standards like we make money or something. Wish truckers could smoke a joint without concern. Sure it’s pleasure seeking but ain’t like meth or booze. The bad drugs flush out asap like toxins weed hangs around… mb not that bad? Big gov should outlaw coffee and cigarettes too. If u need coffee after 10 hours waiting around…
I seen
I seen a truck stop convenience store/restaurant say stay away from here we drug everything so the trucker’s will get in an accident so the state can make money cleaning it up. You’ll deal sick after eating here.
48states
Just more stuff so they keep there money and funding and personal agenda…. Drug test have always been federal for truckers and there will always be ways around it for a clean urine…. Doesn’t mean anything, what they say about that new thing just more money out of everyone’s pocket… Blah….