Washington – Independent truck drivers are required to participate in U.S. Department of Transportation drug and alcohol testing programs but are not required to complete reasonable suspicion supervisor training because “they are not supervising anyone,” the agency said.
The clarifications are part of recent updates to employer policies on drug and alcohol testing, which were last revised in June 2015 by the DOT Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance.
The updated guidelines, released Sept. 29, cover training and other requirements for supervisors in DOT agencies subject to audit – the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration and the US Coast Guard maritime industry.
Additional updates include changes to language and guidance related to oral fluid drug testing. In June 2023, a final decision by the ministry allowed the method as an alternative to urine testing for truck drivers and workers in other safety-related transportation positions.
However, employers cannot perform oral fluid testing until the Department of Health and Human Services has certified at least two laboratories to perform it. A notice released by HHS on October 1 indicates that no labs have been certified.