Right now, only drug urine testing is recognized by Health and Human Services as a mandatory pre-employment test for truck driver applicants, but that could soon change if new bills introduced in the House and Senate allow carriers to utilize drug testing via hair as a new way to meet the requirements. Carriers have been advocating for the hair method because it is harder to tamper with and carriers like J.B. Hunt, Gordon Trucking, C.R. England and Roehl Transport already use the method along with urine testing as part of their employment screening process. Drug testing via hair is considered a more reliable test because it detects drugs in a person’s system over several months, unlike the urine test which only detects drugs in the body from the last 24-48 hours.
The move also comes with some controversy as tests have shown that drug testing via hair yields 2-10% more positive results – leading some applicants to wonder if the test is faulty. If the test is as accurate as experts claim, this is a huge win for an industry that struggles with employees using illegal substances. According to the Transportation Research Board, J.B. Hunt’s rate of positive urine tests had dropped 75 percent through using hair samples meaning potential violators are getting screened out more and more. In a time of growth and scrutiny from government officials, the trucking industry can’t afford to have dangerous drivers on the road.
Studies have shown that drug use is prevalent in the industry. Truckers use these substances to cope with long hours and fatigue, but it creates health hazards for both the driver and the other vehicles on the road. Allowing carriers the option on how to test potential applicants will only help get this problem out of trucking.
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