Arkansas Trucking Association supports hair drug test bill

Trade group Arkansas Trucking Association announced Friday (July 11) its support for a bill that would require positive hair test results to be included in a federal clearinghouse that tracks drug test results for truck drivers.

The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Public Safety Improvement Act was introduced by U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro. It would direct the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to include positive hair test results in its Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. The bill is expected to eliminate a loophole in the existing system, according to a news release.

“As an industry responsible for safely moving our nation’s freight, we have zero tolerance for drug use behind the wheel,” said Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association. “Keeping impaired drivers off the road is fundamental to highway safety, and the trucking industry remains firmly committed to that goal.”

According to the release, the bill would address a safety gap that has persisted since the approval of the FAST Act in 2015, which directed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to recognize hair testing as an approved alternative to urine drug testing. However, the federal agency has yet to issue the technical guidelines for hair testing, leaving employers without a way to report positive results.

Many trucking companies conduct hair testing through labs as part of their pre-employment screening. But without the federal recognition, those results cannot be reported to the clearinghouse, the release shows. Because of this, drivers who fail a hair test with one carrier can apply for a job elsewhere without any record of that violation following them.

“For more than a decade, Congressman Crawford has championed efforts to close dangerous loopholes that allow known drug users to slip through the cracks,” Newton said. “His leadership on the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Public Safety Improvement Act is critical to ensuring motor carriers can share positive hair test results with regulators and future employers — empowering the system to identify unsafe drivers before they get behind the wheel. This legislation is a necessary step toward a safer highway system for every American.”