Hub for truckers’ test data is closer

U.S. proposes it for drugs, alcohol

A rule establishing a national drug and alcohol clearinghouse for holders of commercial driver licenses was proposed Wednesday by the Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The announcement moves implementation of the database closer to reality. Establishing the clearinghouse, which would allow trucking firms and others who hire those with commercial driver licenses to search for failed drug tests among job applicants, is viewed as a way to improve highway safety. Currently, trucking firms and other companies that hire commercial drivers are not allowed to share failed results of pre-employment drug and alcohol tests with others carriers. All companies are required to screen drivers before hiring them.

After a 60-day comment period, that could begin within the next week, the agency will begin formulating the final rule. It is unclear when the database could be fully functional and available for companies to report results, said a spokesman for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

News of the rule proposal was applauded by Arkansas industry safety advocates. An Arkansas clearinghouse has been in operation since 2008. If the federal clearinghouse is established, carriers will be required to search for failed or refused tests before hiring an applicant. A driver who has failed or refused a test must pass a mandatory return-to duty process before being cleared to drive again.

Lane Kidd, the president of the Arkansas Trucking Association and the national Trucking Alliance, said establishing the database and enforcing the rule are critical to industry safety. Arkansas’ U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor and U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford were instrumental in getting the clearinghouse included as part of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act.

“This rule means we are one step away from a much needed law that will finally help our industry keep drug abusers out of our trucks and off our highways,” Kidd said. “The idea for this clearinghouse was languishing in a federal agency for 12 years until U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor and Congressman Rick Crawford worked to persuade Congress to create this database. All motorists owe them a big thank you.”

A clearinghouse was first suggested by the American Trucking Association in 1999. A report was issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2004 on the need for a federal database, but there had been little movement on establishing the clearinghouse until the legislation was introduced in 2012.

Members of the Trucking Alliance, a coalition of national carriers with a focus on safety issues, were instrumental in getting the database proposed and worked with Crawford and Pryor on the legislation. Maverick Transportation Inc., J.B. Hunt of Lowell and Fikes Truck Line of Hope are alliance members from Arkansas.

Information collected by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration suggests the database would reduce crash-related costs by $187 million annually.

“It’s a great thing for the industry,” said Dean Newell, Maverick Transportation vice president of safety and training. “It closes the loophole. If we’re truly all about safety … it’s a loophole that needed to be closed. We support it 100 percent.”

Kidd said the alliance is turning its attention to including testing of hair as part of pre-employment drug screening. Carriers are not allowed to report hair-test results at this time and must perform urinalysis, which is widely regarded as less reliable. Crawford and Pryor introduced legislation in October that would allow companies to use hair testing in place of urinalysis.

“Federal law currently prevents a company from submitting the results of a person who tests positive for drugs using hair samples to go into the database,” Kidd said. “The Department of Health and Human Services refuses to recognize that type of test, which simply makes no sense. So Pryor and Crawford have introduced bills in the Senate and House to change that.”

Business, Pages 25 on 02/13/2014

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