Last updated : December 30, 2024
Department of Transportation (DOT) drug testing has been in place since President Reagan enforced the drug-free workplace back in the 80s. The urine test has always been the approved test method and the amount of time that it detects drugs in the system ranges from a few days up to three months in the case of chronic pot smokers.
Recently, the DOT approved the bodily fluids drug testing method, also known as the mouth swab test. Employers who are curious about recent drug use are likely to use this drug testing method. However, employers may not submit specimens until the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) approves two laboratories to process tests.
Why does the DOT drug test?
The DOT was formed to ensure people can safely travel throughout our nation. Mandated drug testing of the safety-sensitive workforce is part of its safety protocol.
Drivers must take a drug test before being hired by a trucking company. Other scenarios that require drug testing include random testing throughout the year or if there is reasonable suspicion of drug use. The protocol requires a return-to-duty test after completing a rehabilitation program. DOT drug testing is also done as soon as possible after an accident has occurred.
Why varied detection times?
The length of time that someone can test positive for recent drug use varies with the urine test—the mouth swab test, as well. There are several reasons for this having to do with the body’s metabolism process.
Reasons include:
- The type of drug used. Someone who uses heroin can expect to test positive on a urine test for one to three days after stopping use. And, as stated above, someone who smokes marijuana daily can test positive for months!
- Dosage amount and frequency of use affect the process. It stands to reason that the amount of drug that is ingested—and the time that passes between doses—the longer it remains in the body.
- Individual tolerance levels fluctuate from person to person.
- Physical factors, such as height, weight, gender, age, and even ethnicity can make a difference in the length of time it takes to rid the body of toxins.
- Some medical conditions, such as liver disease, can slow the body’s metabolization process.
- A person’s hydration level at the time of the test could also influence results.
Drug detection windows
The DOT drug test looks for five classes of drugs.
They are:
- Marijuana
- Cocaine
- Opiates, including opium and codeine derivatives
- Amphetamines and methamphetamines
- Phencyclidine, also known as PCP
Marijuana is detected in urine for up to a week for occasional use. Long-term, daily smokers can test positive for up to three months! Urine tests detect cocaine between one and three days after discontinuing use. Opiates, including fentanyl, are detected in urine for up to four days depending on the drug itself. Amphetamines exit the body fairly quickly. Users can test positive between two and four days after stopping use. PCP stays in the system for up to 5 days, however, if someone uses the drug frequently, it could be even longer.
Why do they risk it?
DOT drug testing must be analyzed in a SAMHSA-approved laboratory. These laboratories are inspected routinely and held to the highest standard. Moreover, technicians are well-trained and the equipment used is highly sophisticated.
The only way anyone can ensure they will pass a drug test is to live drug-free. Still, in the past, some drivers faced with a negative drug test result would move to a new state, get a license, and start looking for a job. It used to be hard to track violations between states. Subsequently, drivers who tried to cheat the system in this way used to have the odds in their favor.
That’s all changed now.
The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse has been up and running for over three years. Employers no longer need to query past employers looking for violations. Instead, driver drug and alcohol violation data—from across the nation mind you—is recorded in one place.
Dishonest drivers can no longer slip through the cracks.
DOT drug testing regulations continue to evolve.
Despite the fact that the mouth swab test was approved for use, for the time being, employers must stick with the urine drug test. It detects the metabolites that drugs leave behind after undergoing the body’s metabolization process.
Some drug metabolites exit the body in the urine, others escape through sweating, in our saliva, and some actually fuse with the hair.
It’s been nearly a decade since the DOT submitted a request to replace the urine test with the hair follicle drug test. This test is the least invasive of all employee drug testing methods. Testing technicians snip a few strands of hair as near to the scalp as possible and submit it for testing. Results go back a full 90 days and there is no way to tamper with the results.
Hair testing technology has advanced in the past decade and many feel it won’t be long now before the hair test is approved for use.
Remember, the only way to know with certainty that the drug test is going to turn out negative is to live life drug-free. Who wants to live with the stress associated with hiding the fact that you abuse drugs?
We must continue to educate people about the dangers associated with drug use and one day, as the old saying goes, our ounce of prevention will become a pound of cure.