The Federal Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse has identified thousands of positive substance abuse tests of commercial drivers within its first two months of operation.
Data collected through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s clearinghouse turned up almost 8,000 positive drug and alcohol tests in its more than 650,000 registrants since Jan. 6.
The clearinghouse is meant to improve road safety by providing employers, licensing agencies, law enforcement and the FMCSA with tools needed to identify drivers who have violated federal drug and alcohol testing program requirements, according to an FMCSA news release.
This is to ensure those drivers receive the required evaluation and treatment before they resume driving commercial vehicles.
Registration for the clearinghouse began Sept. 28, 2019, and it began operating Jan. 6.
Those who have to register for the clearinghouse include:
- Employers of commercial driver’s license and commercial learner’s permit holders and medical review officers who report program violations occurring after Jan. 6.
- Employers who conduct required queries informing them whether prospective or current employees have violations in their clearinghouse records.
- Drivers who respond to employer consent requests or who want to look at their clearinghouse record when applying for a job.
- Substance abuse professionals who report on driver eligibility for return-to-duty testing for violations committed on or after Jan. 6.
More information can be found at the clearinghouse website.