Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85445
Carriers promote hair drug testing Carriers like Schneider and J.B. Hunt and the American Trucking Associations are advocating for the option of drug testing using hair instead of urine in federally mandated company driver pre-employment screening and random testing. The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration sets mandatory guidelines for Department of Transportation commercial driver drug testing. In 2004, it considered using hair testing and later concluded the proposal needed further research. Hair testing is much more positive result than urine analysis, Osterberg in a July 30 Transport Topics opinion piece. In 2008, Schneider began including hair testing in its pre-hiring process for drivers before adding it to the program in 2011. As of last June, 120 prospective drivers failed the urine test, but 1,400 prospective drivers had drug- positive hair tests. J.B. Hunt, Gordon Trucking, C.R. England and Roehl Transport are among carriers that conduct hair tests, in addition to urine tests. Last year, England added hair trial run indicated hair tested positive at a rate of three times higher than urine alone. American Trucking Association researcher Abigail Potter submitted comments on Procedures for Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing. The association urged OST and Health and Human Services to "aggressively evaluate" using hair and other alternative specimens. The OST should evaluating hair testing by carriers, it added. — Jill Dunn PEACE OF MIND IS KNOWING YOUR TRUCK DOESN'T JUST MEET INDUSTRY STANDARDS, IT EXCEEDS THEM. SelectCertified™ trucks are the most thoroughly inspected used trucks in the market. They undergo multiple inspections to ensure all major components meet the highest standards for performance and safety. The end result? Increased uptime with fewer repairs down the road. ® ™ selectrucks.com/selectcertified | 1-877-577-9066 Copyright © Daimler Trucks North America LLC. All rights reserved. SelecTrucks is a brand of Daimler Trucks North America LLC. Daimler Trucks Remarketing Corporation is a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, a Daimler company. Available exclusively at participating SelecTrucks Centers. Details subject to change, see your Center for complete details. September 2012 | Overdrive | 17 Text INFO to 50298 or visit ovdinfo.com