New Rule Makes it Harder for Semi Truck Drivers to Beat a Drug Test?
Semi truck (aka tractor trailer and 18 wheeler) drivers are required to take drug tests under certain situations pursuant to federal regulations. Semi truck drivers are supposed to take a drug test prior to starting a job as a commercial truck driver. They are also required to take a drug and alcohol test after causing or contributing to an injury accident and/or an accident that results in serious property damage that incapacitates another vehicle. However, the lack of regulation and attention paid to these rules and the manner in which drug tests are handled result in some semi truck drivers failing to take the required drug test or cheating the test. It is not uncommon for a semi truck driver to cause a serious injury or fatal accident and then fail to submit to a drug test without any repercussions. It is up to the semi truck driver and his/her employer to have the driver take the test. Both of them may have an incentive to avoid the test and plead ignorance regarding the drug testing requirement. Another scenario that is not uncommon occurs when a truck driver either submits to the drug test well after the drugs are no longer in his/her system, brings someone else's urine to the test for submission or brings a substance to place in his/her urine sample that will mask the presence of drugs.
A new rule issued by the Department of Transportation makes it mandatory for drug testing labs to test all urine samples for the presence of any adulterating substances and also allows employees at the testing facility to observe the urine collection process if they suspect foul play.
The new federal rule for the drug testing of semi truck drivers will not address the problem of truck drivers avoiding drug tests altogether but should help the process of making sure that drug testing results are more accurate when urine samples are collected.
