FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Testing Clearinghouse

​The primary mission of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. For over twenty years, this organization has implemented various plans in an effort to fulfill its mission. Establishing drug and alcohol testing is one tool used by the organization to try to minimize the number and severity of accidents. 

In January of this year, the FMCSA established the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. The FMCSA’s website notes “The Clearinghouse is a secure online database that will give employers, FMCSA, State Driver Licensing Agencies, and State law enforcement personnel real-time information about CDL driver drug and alcohol program violations thereby enhancing safety on our Nation’s roadways.” In fact, this rule is so widespread that is required an Act of Congress in order to establish the Clearinghouse. This database creates a real time system that will allow all stakeholders better visibility and ultimately serves to make sure that drug and alcohol offenders stay off the road. Below are four ways the database will help improve highway safety.

1. Easier platform to meet pre-employment investigation and reporting obligations. 
2. Drivers cannot easily conceal prior drug and alcohol violations from current or future potential employers. 
3. Establishes roadside inspectors and enforcement personnel with the means to ensure that drivers cannot remain on the highway unless they receive required evaluation and treatment. 
4. Helps the FMCSA determine employer compliance with testing, investigation, and reporting requirements.

The Clearinghouse will ultimately contain information on all CDL driver drug and alcohol program violations. These violations include the following:

• Report for duty/remain on duty for safety-sensitive function with alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater or while using any drug specified in the regulations (Part 40), other than those prescribed by a licensed medical practitioner. 
• Alcohol use while performing, or within four hours of performing, a safety-sensitive function. 
• Alcohol use within eight hours of an accident, or until post-accident test, whichever occurs first. 
• Test positive for use of specified drugs.
• Refusing to submit to a required alcohol or drug test.

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The Clearinghouse attempts to unite modern technology with drug and alcohol protocols in an effort to improve communication across drivers, employers, third parties and authorities. These improvements appear to be in the best interest of all parties. Ultimately, only time will tell whether the Clearinghouse has a substantive impact on improving highway safety across the US.