From: FleetOwner
A proposed rule, which trucking has lobbied some 15 years for, to set up a national clearinghouse— a central database– of CDL holders to track those in violation of federal drug/alcohol-use regulations has at last been announced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
According to the agency, the rule “would help improve roadway safety by making it easier to determine whether a truck or bus driver is prohibited from operating a commercial motor vehicle for failing to comply with federal drug and alcohol regulations, including mandatory testing.”
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David Heller, director of safety and policy for the Truckload Carriers Assn. (TCA), told FleetOwner that release of the proposed rule had been delayed during the necessary review process by the White House’s Office of Management & Budget (OMB).
OMB cleared the DOT draft on Jan. 27th with some changes, apparently to address privacy concerns and other legal complexities.
Going back to the 1990s, the clearinghouse has been sought by trucking to ensure that truckers could no longer “cover up” positive drug/alcohol test results by not disclosing them on job applications.