drug and alcohol testing

The building blocks of a compliant safety program

For all motor carriers, safety compliance is one of the most basic necessities for success, but navigating the ins and outs is far from simple due to the extensive nature of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations.

Each carrier needs a safety program that allows them to withstand Department of Transportation (DOT) roadside inspections and carrier investigations. Last year alone, over 85,000 federal roadside inspections took place, which is the most since 2019, and there...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-building-blocks-of-a-compliant-safety-program

The top 2 challenges of drug & alcohol compliance

Violations of Federal Regulation 49 CFR Part 382 (controlled substances and alcohol) continue to trip up trucking carriers and drivers. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, failing to comply with Part 382 accounts for 40% of acute violations and 20% of critical violations for carriers.

Acute and critical violations are what FMCSA uses during a compliance review to arrive at a motor carrier’s safety rating.

In some cases, these violations are a matter of proper and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-top-2-challenges-of-drug-alcohol-compliance

Hackers leak trucker, rail worker medical records

An image of a computer screen stating "system hacked" alongside a photo of commercial truck at a medical clinic. Hackers recently leaked data form an occupational health clinic.

UPS (NYSE: UPS) and Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) said they are looking into whether employee health data was compromised after hackers posted medical records of truck drivers and rail workers to a leak site following an apparent ransomware attack and data breach at a Virginia-based occupational healthcare provider. 

It was not immediately clear how many UPS and Norfolk Southern personnel were affected by the leak of over 3,000 files from occupational health provider Taylor Made Diagnostics on...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/hackers-leak-trucker-rail-worker-medical-records

FMCSA to provide ‘flexibility’ for random drug testing

Carriers struggling with their random drug and alcohol testing obligations because of the coronavirus pandemic can expect enforcement leniency from federal regulators.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced it “may exercise discretion” in enforcing minimum annual percentage random testing rates — as well as the requirement that employers spread testing dates throughout the calendar year — for carriers unable to meet the requirements.

“As the Nation engages in a phased...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-to-provide-flexibility-for-random-drug-testing

5 self-audit steps needed to ramp up carrier compliance

Regulatory compliance

As businesses around the country restart operations, talk has shifted to the steps necessary to ensure the safety of their employees. For many, the changes are drastic — 6-foot social distancing, constant cleaning and even work from home. But for the trucking industry, a return to normal means a return to regulatory compliance.

While the reality is that compliance never disappeared, in many jurisdictions, and for many regulations, it has been relaxed or suspended entirely during the COVID-19...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/5-self-audit-steps-needed-to-ramp-up-carrier-compliance