Trucking industry required to randomly test 50% of drivers in 2015
by January 5, 2015 4:11 pm 5,632 views
The trucking industry will have to continue randomly testing at least 50% of its drivers for drug and alcohol in 2015, according to a decision by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The American Trucking Association had hoped the mandatory 50% would be lowered to 25% which is the requirement for marine and public transit drivers.
The Dec. 31 FMCSA announcement was based on data gathered from industry-controlled lab results from 2012 along with drug and alcohol testing survey data and investigations.
"The trucking industry met the incentive-based rate reduction criteria in FMCSA's own regulations. The information and other data cited in FMCSA's statement on this issue raises a whole host of questions concerning the basis for the random rate decision,” notes ATA executive Dave Osieki.
He said the ATA will dig a little deeper into the issue with the FMCSA in the next few months.
The FMCSA cited positive test rates that increased by 4.1% from 2011 to 2012. They also found that reasonable-suspicion positive rates increased from 15.7% in 2011 to 37.2% in 2012. The results for FMCSA’s 2012 testing survey of approximately 2,000 carriers indicate that positive random drug-testing results are down for a second year.
While the carrier industry had hoped for a lower mandatory testing rate, not all carriers voiced concern with the ruling.
Wal-Mart, one of the nation’s largest private carriers, said it “is comfortable with the current industry standards of testing and we comply with enforcement accordingly,” according to Walmart spokesman Brian Nick.