The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing new drug testing guidelines that would allow motor carriers to test truck drivers using saliva samples as an alternative to urine testing.
In its 119-page Federal Register announcement published February 25, DOT said that such tests “…will give employers a choice that will help combat employee cheating on urine drug tests and provide a more economical, less intrusive means of achieving the safety goals of the program.”
“Unlike directly observed urine collections, an oral fluid collection is much less intrusive on the tested employee’s privacy,” DOT said.
ICSA will be closely monitoring the proposal and will keep its members informed. Meanwhile, ICSA requires hair testing of drivers for carriers that wish to be considered for Platinum-level membership as required to take advantage of our low-cost insurance coverage. See Mike Hitchcock’s Coaching Corner in this newsletter for an overview of hair testing.
Every year, TAT (formerly called Truckers Against Trafficking) honors a member of the trucking, bus or energy industry, whose direct actions help save or improve the lives of those exploited or prevent human trafficking from taking place, with the Harriet Tubman Award
Bob Costello has indicated that the freight market has improved – but very slowly – since January. It must be said that ATA’s indices are dominated by contract freight as opposed to spot rates.
Now, however, with Republican control of both houses of Congress and the White House (and, some say, the Supreme Court) I am optimistic that trucking will get a fairer shake than it has during Biden’s term in office.