Truck To Success instructs on drug and alcohol testing for owner-operators

Undergoing a drug test after accepting a new job isn’t unusual – but what isn’t so common is being subject to such tests while self-employed.

For owner-operator truck drivers, however, being their own boss does not exclude them from the drug- and alcohol-testing standards established for the trucking industry. What it does do is require a different way to go about that testing.

“If you’re an owner-operator, you have to join a consortium to be tested,” Joe Boswell, a CMCI representative in OOIDA’s Business Services Department, explained during a presentation at last year’s Truck To Success.

This annual three-day course offered by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association instructs truck drivers on what they need to know before going into business for themselves. This year’s event will take place Oct. 21-23 in Blue Springs, Mo., with virtual attendance via Zoom also an option. Registration for both in-person and online attendance is now open on the Truck To Success webpage.

CMCI, or Consortium Management Company Inc., is OOIDA’s drug- and alcohol-testing program that enables small-business truckers to comply with federal regulations. In his presentation, Boswell detailed those regulations pertaining to the trucking industry, covering points such as who needs to be tested, how the testing process works for owner-operators and what substances a test detects.

These substances include marijuana (THC), cocaine, certain amphetamines, certain opioids and phencyclidine (PCP). And while some testing occurs at expected times – such as pre-employment – other testing is random or is done following unforeseen circumstances like an accident.

“There’s no chance to study for the test,” Boswell said. “If you’re not already studying, it’s too late.”

He went on to explain the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, where all motor carriers, owner-operators and drivers seeking employment must be registered. A binder of information provided to all Truck To Success attendees included samples of clearinghouse queries and explained the process that follows a driver being prohibited from operating a commercial motor vehicle due to a drug- or alcohol-related violation.

The section of that binder supplementing this presentation was especially substantial – even including a lengthy sample contract detailing a company’s policy for adhering to FMCSA’s drug and alcohol regulations. But despite the vast amount of information provided, complying with these regulations can come with unexpected challenges – as some drivers have learned after unknowingly ingesting THC through CBD products claiming not to contain any.

“There’s no fighting it, either,” Boswell said regarding a positive test result for THC. “If you test positive, you’re done.”

This warning emphasized how careful truck drivers must be about what products they consume – and served as an echo of advice Boswell gave at the start of his presentation.

“I could make it real simple,” he said. “When you’re driving a big truck, don’t drink or do drugs.” LL