Washington — Independent owner-operator truckers must participate in Department of Transportation drug and alcohol testing programs but aren’t required to complete supervisor reasonable suspicion training because “they do not supervise anyone,” the agency says.
The clarifications are part of recent updates to its employer guidelines on drug and alcohol testing, which had last been revised in June 2015 by the DOT Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance.
Published on Sept. 29, the updated guidelines cover training and other requirements for supervisors in DOT agencies subject to testing – the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, and U.S. Coast Guard maritime industry.
Other updates include changes to language and guidance related to oral fluid drug testing. In June 2023, a department final rule permitted the method as an alternative to urine testing for truck drivers and workers in other safety-sensitive transportation positions.
However, employers can’t implement oral fluid testing until the Department of Health and Human Services has certified at least two laboratories to conduct it. A notice published Oct. 1 by HHS indicates that no labs have been certified.
