Last updated : December 23, 2024
Businesses or organizations in Wisconsin and in any other states need to ensure that their commercial drivers and operators, such as truck drivers, undergo drug testing. This test is one of the many requirements in obtaining a CDL or Commercial Driver’s License.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration or FMCSA and the Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary has published a complete set of drug testing rules applicable to drivers with CDL and their employers. The rules are applicable to safety-sensitive employees and employers, such as those who lease or own commercial motor vehicles, private and for-hire motor carriers, government, churches and civic organizations, among others.
Drug Testing Types
There are different types of drugs tests that are required for truck drivers and other commercial drivers in Wisconsin. Pre-employment tests are conducted prior to hiring an employee. Another testing type is the one conducted on an employee after he exhibits symptoms of substance abuse. This is referred to as reasonable suspicion testing. Sometimes, an accident has already happened and it is logical to conduct a test if there are grounds to suspect illegal drugs or substance is involved. There is also the random testing, in which a good amount of employees are selected randomly for tests. These tests are usually unscheduled. Other testing types are return-to-duty and follow-up.
Drug Testing Procedures
The main sample analyzed for drug presence in the system is urine. The law requires that a urine specimen is divided into two bottles, one being the primary specimen and the other being a split specimen. The bottles are properly sealed and labeled, and sent to a drug-testing laboratory. The procedures used in collecting the specimen and transferring custody ensure that there is no compromise in the identification and integrity of the sample. The actual analysis is conducted in Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) certified and consistently monitored laboratories. Only the primary specimen is opened and analyzed, and if the results show presence of illegal drugs, the driver will be sent a notification. He has 72 hours to ask for the split specimen to be sent to another laboratory for a second opinion.
Illegal and Controlled Substances
Wisconsin truck drivers are tested for presence of several illegal and controlled substances. The urinalysis will be used to determine if a driver has Marijuana, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Opiates (including heroin) and PCP or Phencyclidine in his system. Some MDMA or methylenedioxymethamopetamine, commonly referred to as Ecstasy contains PCP and will show up in laboratory results. The same applies for other substances which contain the five drugs mentioned above.
The process for analyzing urine samples for drug presence is composed of two stages. The first stage is referred to as screening test, and if the result comes back positive, a confirmation test will be performed for each identified drug. Confirmation testing is the second stage. A Medical Review Office (MRO) is responsible for reviewing and interpreting the results prior to reporting to the employer. He has to interview the employee to determine whether the positive drug test result is a from substance abuse.
Importance of Testing for Drugs
Drug testing, whether random or scheduled, plays a vital role in ensuring that a work environment is drug-free. It is an employer’s responsibility to conduct these tests in a consistent manner. Ideally, for random, unannounced drug tests, the total number of safety-sensitive drives to be tested should be at least half. Supervisors and team leaders must attend at least an hour of education and training on the various symptoms and signs of drug abuse. The information can help establish a solid ground for reasonable suspicion testing.
Apart from being a requirement prior to issuance of CDL, there are other reasons Wisconsin commercial drivers should be tested for drugs. Drivers who are drug users are highly likely to get in an accident, which will in turn result to personal injury, destruction of property and even death. In addition, they can be arrested, fined or have their licensed revoked. Depending on the situation, the accident can also result to a person not being allowed to drive for the rest of his life. This can affect a business in a negative manner, not only because of the bad reputation, but also because of loss of a skilled employee.
