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Question - I’m an owner-operator and due for my CHP BIT inspection. The CHP inspector stated they also wanted to review my controlled substance and alcohol testing or CSAT program. I have been enrolled in a random drug and alcohol testing program for years, but have not been chosen for a random drug or alcohol test since my last inspection 2 years ago, so should I go test?
Answer - Provided that you have been enrolled in a random drug and alcohol testing pool that meets the minimum testing requirements of the DOT FMCSA 49 CFR parts 40 & 382, (50% for drugs and 10% for alcohol) and you have not had a lapse in your enrollment since your last inspection, you would not be required to test. Random testing is just that, random. After each time a selection is made of the random pool, all eligible drivers must go back into the pool for the next selection. So depending on the size of the testing pool, it is not that uncommon for some drivers to not be selected for an extended period while if a driver is in a consortium that tests in excess of the minimum requirements they may get selected more than once a year or even twice in a row – this is considered random! Note: AADT tests to the minimum requirements.
There have been many recent articles from the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) and CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance) concerning the progressive improvement nationally in the education and safety awareness thus reducing out-of-service violations and improving public safety.
This year, the CVSA 2009 Roadcheck Annual Safety Blitz inspections averaged approximately 17 trucks or buses every minute from Canada to Mexico during the 72-hour period from June 2-4, 2009. The recently released statistics showed an 82% (compared to 76% in 2008) compliance rate for vehicle and 97% (compared to a 95% in 2008) compliance rate for drivers. Roadcheck is a combined effort between the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (Mexico). For more on CVSA visit www.cvsa.org.
On a state level, CHP commercial motor carrier division too is promoting industry safety through programs such as the Commercial Industry Education Program (CIEP), Tow Rotation Program and CHP Commercial Safety Summit. It was relayed to us a few years ago that within the CHP commercial motor carrier division this was the new régime, more emphasis on open communication, education and safety and we can currently see that they have lived up to their commitment.
In past years, we would receive only a few calls a month from CHP Motor Carrier Specialists (MCS) conducting motor carrier CSAT compliance reviews, today we receive daily inquires. Many of our longtime clients say that the inspections seem to be more thorough and the inspectors are asking for detailed information concerning drug and alcohol testing compliance. They also feel that the MCS are making an extra effort to communicate and explain the programs compliance requirements.
AADT long ago anticipated the need for industry education and we have made it our goal to train our staff on all aspects of the regulations. This commitment also applies to our clients, as we supply each company with a comprehensive Compliance Manual, employee handbook, supervising training in reasonable suspicion of controlled substance abuse and alcohol misuse and more. In addition many of these materials can be found online at www.aadrugtesting.com.
If you haven’t been to the AADT website lately, we encourage you to do so. Many answers to your questions can be found on the website, plus useful information and special links to other services. For instances, there is a link to the CHP Controlled Substance and Alcohol Testing (CSAT) checklist, Understanding CSAT or the complete list of CHP forms by just going to our home page and clicking on the CSAT Info header.
Or maybe you have a CSAT Compliance Review coming up and want to be sure you are prepared, you can download our guide: Preparing for a Drug/Alcohol Compliance Review checklist by logging onto the client or broker log in or our website, clicking on document downloads, scrolling down to the “What To Do When” section and clicking on “Open Document” next to Form “G”. It’s that easy!!!
Lonnie Johnson
AADT Operations Director
lonnie@aadrugtesting.com