The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on April 28, 2020 seeking to prohibit State Driver’s Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) from issuing, renewing, upgrading, or transferring a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or commercial learner’s permit (CLP) for individuals prohibited from
Articles Discussing The Department Of Transportation.
FMCSA Waives Certain License Renewals, Medical Card Renewals, and Requires Reporting of Accidents For Drivers Operating Under Waiver
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a “Waiver in Response to COVID-19 Emergency” on March 24, 2020 concerning renewals of licenses and medical certifications for holders of commercial drivers’ licenses (CDL), commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders, and other interstate drivers operating commercial motor vehicles. The
FMCSA Addresses Potential Disruptions To Drug And Alcohol Testing During COVID-19 Crisis
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued guidance on March 24, 2020 to address potential disruptions to mandated drug and alcohol testing during the COVID-19 crisis. The FMCSA guidance, which will remain in effect until June 30, 2020, states in pertinent part:
The Federal Motor Carrier
U.S. DOT Issues Guidance Regarding Drug And Alcohol Testing During COVID-19 Crisis
The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy Compliance issued guidance on March 23, 2020 to provide clarity with respect to existing requirements for DOT-mandated drug and alcohol testing during the COVID-19 crisis. DOT agencies include the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the
U.S. DOT Issues Warning Regarding Use Of CBD Products By DOT-Regulated Employees
The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy Compliance published a notice on February 18, 2020 concerning the use of hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) products by safety-sensitive employees regulated by DOT’s agencies (including the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard). Among other things, ODAPC stated the following
FMCSA Raises Random Drug Testing Rate to 50% For 2020
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced on December 27, 2019 that beginning on January 1, 2020, the minimum annual percentage rate for random drug testing is 50% of the average number of driver positions. The minimum annual percentage rate for random alcohol testing will remain at 10%.
FMCSA-Regulated Employers Take Note: Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Implementation Quickly Approaching
In 2012, Congress passed and President Obama signed the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act,” a transportation reauthorization bill referred to as “MAP-21.” That law directed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to create a means of identifying and tracking commercial drivers who violate the agency’s drug and alcohol testing program, to ensure that drivers with a history of violating the drug and alcohol regulations are taken off the road until they demonstrate compliance with those rules.
FMCSA Clearinghouse Opened, Transportation Department Announces
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Clearinghouse registration, which is the electronic database that will contain information about commercial motor vehicle drivers’ drug and alcohol program violations, is open, the agency has announced.
FMCSA Clearinghouse Registration Is Now Open; Clearinghouse Goes Live on January 6, 2020
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced on October 1, 2019 that Clearinghouse registration is now open. The FMCSA Clearinghouse is an electronic database that will contain information about commercial motor vehicle drivers’ drug and alcohol program violations. The Clearinghouse will become operational on January 6, 2020, and FMCSA-regulated employers must be ready to comply with the Clearinghouse requirements on that date. Authorized users may now visit https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/register to create a user account and become familiar with the site.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Agency Proposes Changes to Hours of Service Rules for Truck Drivers
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on changes to the hours of service (HOS) rules.
FMCSA Clearinghouse Rules Take Effect On January 6, 2020: Are You Ready?
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Clearinghouse will become operational on January 6, 2020, and FMCSA-regulated employers must be ready to comply with the Clearinghouse requirements on that date. The FMCSA Clearinghouse is an electronic database that will contain information about commercial motor vehicle drivers’ drug and alcohol program violations. Although the Clearinghouse rule actually took effect on January 4, 2017, the implementation date for FMCSA-regulated employers is January 6, 2020. See 49 CFR Part 382, Subpart G, among others.
End of the Year Updates from the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration
Executive Summary: The Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a flurry of announcements to close out 2017. In addition to recapping several previous publications, the FAA released a new Advisory Circular on its voluntary disclosure reporting program.
DOT Tackles the Opioid Crisis: Agency Issues Guidance on Regulations Adding Semi-Synthetic Opioids to Testing Panel
Effective January 1, 2018, employers with employees subject to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s drug-testing regulations will face new and broader testing obligations based on a Final Rule issued in November 2017.1 This month, in various web-based guidance, DOT clarified what changes, if any, covered employers must make to their DOT testing program policies. This article will discuss DOT’s new requirements and what transportation employers can do to prepare for these new obligations.
PHMSA Raises Random Drug Testing Rate to 50% for 2018
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration announced December 8, 2017 that during calendar year 2018, the minimum random drug testing rate will be increased to 50%.
U.S. Department of Transportation Publishes Guidance For Updating Drug and Alcohol Testing Policies
The drug testing panel utilized by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s operating agencies will change on January 1, 2018. (Click here to read our blog post on that change). DOT published guidance on December 1, 2017 to assist employers with regard to updating their drug and alcohol testing policies. The guidance states as follows: