cdl and drug testing

[GMichaels]

I was told that in new york if your using your cdl you must be enrolled in a certified state random drug testing program else it is illeage to drive. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Nyoest]

I know for a fact that it is required in Missouri

 

[GFrance]

Cdl lisences are regulated by the FMCSR (federal motor carrier saftey regulations). If you are working for hire then you or your employer must be registered in a random drug testing program. If you are presently not driving for hire I would chech with your states department of transportation to find out if you are required to participate in a program when between jobs.

 

[Don Blaisdell]

I happen to live in ny and hold a cdl my employer is enrolled in a program similar to what you are talking about, in the roughly 20 yrs that I have been driving I have only been selected once to go for drug testing. Altho if you are in a accident I very strongly advise having a drug test. in Fact I would almost demand one for your own liability. Don

 

[GFrance]

It depends on how big of a pool they are drawing from (how many drivers). Our pool is small & I've been called up twice in the last six months (maybe I look like a seedy person). Before that it had been a couple of years.

 

[CLAYTON]

I was told that in new york if your using your cdl you must be enrolled in a certified state random drug testing program else it is illeage to drive. Can anyone confirm this?

Are you worried?? :-laf

 

[BigEasy]

I've been drug tested at least 30 times in the last 6 years through RANDOM testing... I guess they just figure that no one can have this much fun without chemical assistance.

 

[DHorton]

If you need a fairly affordable one to join OOIDA has a pretty decent program. $150 a year and they pool you in with several other O/Os. My driver has already been randomly selected after joining in July. It is FMCSA/DOT regulation and no state can supercede it. If you want the "official" word on it, contact your state's DOT MCCO (motor carrier compliance office). They will quote the regulation to you.



Went ahead and found it:

http://www.dot.gov/ost/dapc/NEW_DOCS/part40.html?proc

 

[Eric_77]

I happen to live in ny and hold a cdl my employer is enrolled in a program similar to what you are talking about, in the roughly 20 yrs that I have been driving I have only been selected once to go for drug testing. Altho if you are in a accident I very strongly advise having a drug test. in Fact I would almost demand one for your own liability. Don

If you are in an accident with injuries a drug test is required.



Been a while since I read the whole reg book (yeah I was bored) and if memory serves 25% of the the testing pool must be tested every quarter so on average you would be tested once a year.

 

[E7mack96]

Any accident with disabling damage too. (requiring a tow for either party)

 

[Todd T]

its good to see that this sort of thing is in place and hopefully enforced.



I have a friend that is a charter pilot and is head of the drug testing program where he works. recently a pilot of theirs had a helicopter crash while doing the telemetry for a race.



i happened to be standing by him when he got the call from his pilot. he first made sure the guy was OK, and then told him he needed to go the hospital and get a drug and alcohol screening ASAP! before he headed to the bar to drink about his near death experience LOL

 

[CTD 600]

It is the law to be subject to random drug testing in California if you have any type of commercial drivers license.

 

[E7mack96]

in an accident, you have just 2 hours to get in for an alcohol test. If you take longer, you better have a really good documented reason why you didn't.

 

[RKerner]

I was told that in new york if your using your cdl you must be enrolled in a certified state random drug testing program else it is illeage to drive. Can anyone confirm this?

In MN, even a DOT physical certificate requires one to be available for random drug testing.

 

[jwduke]

This is interesting..... I drive a semi, and have yet to be randomly tested.

 

[MMiller]

I also understood that any DOT officer can pull you over and require a sample on cite. I've never been asked, nor anybody I know. I've taken the required physical for the DOT medical card. I was told the sample I gave to nurse was to check and make sure my body was doing what is was supposed to, not for drugs.



The shop I work for has "random" drug testing too. I've worked there for 4 years, and never been tested, but the same 4 or 5 guys get picked every few months to make a trip down to the doctor's office. I guess the boss knows they will pass, not sure about the rest of us.



One place we used to go and service machinery had a terrible turn over rate. They'd hire guys, get them trained and then drug testing would show up. The new hires would just walk off the job, get in their car and drive away, never to be seen again. Nothing suspicious there, huh.



Michael

 

[jwduke]

It seems to be the same guys here too that get tested all of the time.



They claim that the computer randomly checks, to tell them who to test. But you know as well as I do, variables can be changed.