Marijuana violations have taken over 10,000 truck drivers off the road this 12 months, adding more provide chain disruptions

(Stacker) - Delayed packages, bare grocery retailer shelves, and inflated prices have turn out to be the norm for American consumers over the previous two years. While the COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst, there are other challenges inflicting provide chain issues, including an absence of truck drivers to move items from one place to a different. In late 2021, the American Trucking Associations reported that the driver scarcity had risen to an all-time excessive of 80,000, partly as a result of ageing population and shrinking wages.

In response, the Biden administration vowed in December to get extra truck drivers on the street by boosting recruitment efforts and expediting the issuing of economic licenses. However, that received’t affect another hurdle: disparate marijuana legal guidelines across the U.S. which might be contributing to an increase in violations. In 2022, a growing variety of truckers are being taken off the job, which might quickly worsen the already struggling provide chain.

As more states legalize recreational marijuana—four of which did so prior to now year and three extra are expected to by the tip of 2022—extra truck drivers have examined constructive for the substance. As of April 1, 2022, 10,276 business car drivers have examined optimistic for marijuana use. By the same time in 2021, there had been 7,750 violations. That’s a 32.6% improve yr over yr.

Truck drivers who journey cross-country face inconsistent state laws as 19 states have legalized leisure marijuana and 37 states permit it for medicinal functions. However even when a driver used marijuana or hemp-based merchandise like CBD whereas off obligation in a state the place those substances are legal, they could still be confronted with a violation because of the Division of Transportation’s (DOT) zero-tolerance coverage on the federal degree.

“While states might enable medical use of marijuana, federal legal guidelines and policy do not acknowledge any legit medical use of marijuana,” a DOT handbook for commercial automobile drivers reads. “Even if a state permits the use of marijuana, DOT regulations treat its use as the same as the use of every other illicit drug.”

Stacker looked at what’s inflicting thousands of truckers to be removed from their jobs, and the looming domino effect of the continued provide chain disruptions.

Under laws set forth by the DOT, truck drivers are examined for drug use—including marijuana—previous to starting a brand new job. They can also be examined at random, in addition to after accidents. In January 2020, the DOT’s Federal Motor Service Safety Administration additionally upped the random drug testing rate from 25% of the average variety of driver positions to 50%. Truck drivers are mainly screened for drug use by way of urinalysis, but there are actually new saliva checks being proposed as well.

At worst, if a driver fails only one drug take a look at, that can be grounds for termination beneath DOT regulations. At greatest, they are temporarily taken off the street and required to finish an evaluation with a substance misuse skilled who determines their rehabilitation process, which might sometimes take months.

As of January 2020, employers are additionally required to listing commercial drivers who fail a drug check in the FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. These violations stay searchable for 5 years. Potential employers are additionally required to verify the Clearinghouse to see if a business driver had any previous violations, which might stop them from being employed.

In recent years, more states have legalized each leisure and medical marijuana, making it extra broadly available and used. Nonetheless, marijuana use is still prohibited for business truck drivers, state legal guidelines and medical prescriptions apart. In accordance with the FMCSA, “a driver may not use marijuana even if [it] is really helpful by a licensed medical practitioner.” The DOT has maintained its zero-tolerance stance for marijuana use even as it’s grow to be legalized, saying, “Legalization of marijuana use by States and other jurisdictions additionally has not modified the application of U.S. Division of Transportation drug testing laws.”

A industrial driver may use marijuana while off-duty, not driving, and in a state the place marijuana is legal, however nonetheless test positive for the substance for up to a month later and be taken off the street. The American Dependancy Centers says for rare marijuana users—meaning those that use the substance less than two times per week—it can present up of their urine for up to three days. Someone who makes use of marijuana several occasions a week can check optimistic for up to three weeks, and those that use marijuana even more often can “take a look at positive for a month or longer.”

Shortages, factory closures, and items ready to be unloaded at ports are simply a few of the current issues affecting the availability chain across America. Trucking transports 72% of merchandise inside the U.S., in response to a report from the White House, but a rising variety of industrial drivers are sidelined for marijuana use.

The return-to-duty process that commercial vehicle drivers must endure as soon as confronted with a marijuana violation can preserve them from returning to work in any respect. Based on the FMCSA’s monthly report, 89,650 industrial drivers are presently in prohibited status as of April 1, 2022, however 67,368 of them have not begun the RTD process. 

If violations continue on the present price, the truck driver shortage will additional disrupt the availability chain, which suggests higher costs not just for commodities however the cost of residing at massive.

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