The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has started notifying truck and bus companies around the country that they are required to submit their 2016 U.S. DOT drug and alcohol testing program results within 60 days.
The Annual Drug and Alcohol Information Survey results are used to determine the random testing rates for the following year, which is directed by 49 CFR § 382.403.
Carriers notified by the FMCSA to complete the annual survey must respond by March 15. If companies choose not to respond by that time, the carriers may incur civil penalties.
FMCSA recently released a final rule to help close loopholes that previously allowed commercial drivers to conceal prior drug or alcohol violations in order to continue driving or be hired by other carriers.
“Drivers who test positive for drugs or alcohol will no longer be able to conceal those test results from employers and continue to drive while posing a safety risk to the driving public,” said FMCSA Administrator Scott Darling.
The FMCSA estimates the Clearinghouse will provide about $196 million in annual benefits from reduced crashes while costing approximately $154 million a year to administer, for a total net benefit of $42 million annually.
The final rule will go into effect within 30 days of being published in the Federal Register. Compliance is due by Jan. 6, 2020.
The rule will also indicate that safeguards must protect all commercial drivers in cases of inaccurate report submissions, including challenged and petitions for removal.
