The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is establishing a CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. This database will contain information including positive drug or alcohol tests, refusals, and other violations of the DOT drug and alcohol testing program for CDL drivers. The Clearinghouse will launch January 4, 2020. The law requires FMCSA-regulated employers, Medical Review Officers (MROs), Substance Abuse Professionals (SAPs), consortia/third party administrators (C/TPAs), and other service agents to report to the Clearinghouse information related to violations of the drug and alcohol regulations.
Employers will be required to query the Clearinghouse for current and prospective employees’ drug and alcohol violations before permitting those employees to operate a commercial motor vehicle on public roads. Employers will also be required to annually query the Clearinghouse for each driver they currently employ. Records of drug and alcohol program violations will remain in the Clearinghouse for five years, or until the driver has completed the return-to-duty process, whichever is later. Be sure to subscribe on the FMCSA website for all the latest updates. If you have any questions in regards to transportation safety, contact ISRI’s Transportation Safety Director Commodor Hall.