Feds’ random drug testing rates won’t change

The federal government’s rates of random drug testing for trucking company employees will not change in 2015.

As 2014 came to a close, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) said employees in safety sensitive positions, like truck drivers, will continue at 50 percent in the coming year.

The agency says it based its decision on data from surveys conducted in 2012. According to the FMCSA, data from that survey showed:

  • Positive drug tests rose 4.1 percent in 2012 from 2011.
  • Positive rates of drug tests initiated from reasonable suspicion jumped sharply from 2010 to 2012; 2010’s positive rate was 5.6 percent, 2011’s 15.7 and 2012’s 37.2 percent.
  • The rate of total positive drug test results reported to the DOT from federally certified labs saw a slight jump from 95,427 in 2011 to 97,332 in 2012.

In other news, the FMCSA is also accepting comments on proposed revisions to its existing Information Collection Request (ICR) for driver medical qualification requirements.

The agency is collecting feedback through Feb. 17 on the data request, used to ensure drivers, carriers and states comply with medical qualification regulations.

Specifically, FMCSA seeks comment on whether the data is necessary for oversight of medical qualifications and how the collection’s quality and usefulness could be enhanced. The agency also wants to know if the ICR’s time burden on stakeholders is accurate and how this time could be minimized without decreasing the information’s quality.

FMCSA will submit a summary of responses when it delivers its ICR proposal to the White House Office of Management and Budget for clearance.

Click here to make a formal public comment on the proposed changes.