{"id":36989,"date":"2014-02-13T09:57:32","date_gmt":"2014-02-13T14:57:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/smart-union.dev\/news\/fmcsa-wants-substance-test-database-for-cdl-holders\/"},"modified":"2014-02-13T09:57:32","modified_gmt":"2014-02-13T14:57:32","slug":"fmcsa-wants-substance-test-database-for-cdl-holders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/fmcsa-wants-substance-test-database-for-cdl-holders\/","title":{"rendered":"FMCSA wants drug-test database for CDL holders","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON \u2013 The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced a proposed rule to establish a drug and alcohol clearinghouse for all national commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders. The clearinghouse would help improve roadway safety by making it easier to determine whether a truck or bus driver is prohibited from operating a commercial motor vehicle for failing to comply with federal drug and alcohol regulations, including mandatory testing.<\/p>\n

“Safety is our highest priority, and we will continue to embrace new tools and opportunities that protect the travelers on our nation’s roads,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Today’s proposal will help ensure dangerous drivers stay off the road, while encouraging the employment of the many safe drivers who follow our drug and alcohol requirements.”<\/p>\n

Current federal regulations require employers to conduct mandatory pre-employment screening of a CDL driver’s qualifications based upon his or her driving record. However, there has not been a single federal repository recording positive drug and alcohol tests by CDL holders that employers would be able to search to ensure that the driver is able to perform safety-sensitive duties.<\/p>\n

The proposed rule announced today would create such a repository and require employers to conduct pre-employment searches for all new CDL drivers and annual searches on current drivers.<\/p>\n

“We are leveraging technology to create a one-stop verification point to help companies hire drug and alcohol-free drivers,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “This proposal moves us further down the road toward improving safety for truck and bus companies, commercial drivers and the motoring public everywhere.”<\/p>\n

Under the proposed rule announced today, FMCSA-regulated truck and bus companies, Medical Review Officers, Substance Abuse Professionals, and private, third party USDOT drug and alcohol testing laboratories would be required to record information about a driver who:<\/p>\n