Marijuana violations have taken over 10,000 truck drivers off the road this yr, including extra supply chain disruptions

(Stacker) - Delayed packages, naked grocery store shelves, and inflated costs have grow to be the norm for American customers over the past two years. Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst, there are other challenges causing supply chain points, including a scarcity of truck drivers to move items from one place to another. In late 2021, the American Trucking Associations reported that the motive force shortage had risen to an all-time high of 80,000, partly because of the aging inhabitants and shrinking wages.

In response, the Biden administration vowed in December to get extra truck drivers on the highway by boosting recruitment efforts and expediting the issuing of business licenses. However, that received’t have an effect on another hurdle: disparate marijuana legal guidelines throughout the U.S. which can be contributing to a rise in violations. In 2022, a rising number of truckers are being taken off the job, which might quickly worsen the already struggling supply chain.

As more states legalize recreational marijuana—4 of which did so in the past yr and three extra are expected to by the tip of 2022—more truck drivers have examined positive for the substance. As of April 1, 2022, 10,276 industrial vehicle drivers have tested positive for marijuana use. By the same time in 2021, there had been 7,750 violations. That’s a 32.6% increase yr over yr.

Truck drivers who travel cross-country face inconsistent state rules as 19 states have legalized recreational marijuana and 37 states allow it for medicinal purposes. But even if a driver used marijuana or hemp-based merchandise like CBD while off responsibility in a state where these substances are authorized, they might still be faced with a violation due to the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) zero-tolerance coverage at the federal stage.

“Whereas states might allow medical use of marijuana, federal laws and coverage do not recognize any professional medical use of marijuana,” a DOT handbook for commercial car drivers reads. “Even when a state permits the use of marijuana, DOT regulations treat its use as the identical as using every other illicit drug.”

Stacker checked out what’s causing thousands of truckers to be faraway from their jobs, and the looming domino impact of the continued supply chain disruptions.

Under laws set forth by the DOT, truck drivers are tested for drug use—together with marijuana—previous to starting a brand new job. They can also be examined at random, as well as after accidents. In January 2020, the DOT’s Federal Motor Provider Security Administration also upped the random drug testing price from 25% of the typical number of driver positions to 50%. Truck drivers are primarily screened for drug use by way of urinalysis, but there at the moment are new saliva checks being proposed as nicely.

At worst, if a driver fails just one drug check, that can be grounds for termination underneath DOT rules. At best, they're temporarily taken off the road and required to finish an analysis 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 industrial drivers who fail a drug test in the FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. These violations stay searchable for 5 years. Potential employers are also required to examine the Clearinghouse to see if a industrial driver had any earlier violations, which would forestall them from being hired.

In recent years, more states have legalized both recreational and medical marijuana, making it extra extensively available and used. However, marijuana use continues to be prohibited for business truck drivers, state legal guidelines and medical prescriptions apart. Based on the FMCSA, “a driver could not use marijuana even if [it] is beneficial by a licensed medical practitioner.” The DOT has maintained its zero-tolerance stance for marijuana use even because it’s become legalized, saying, “Legalization of marijuana use by States and different jurisdictions also has not modified the application of U.S. Division of Transportation drug testing rules.”

A commercial driver could use marijuana whereas off-duty, not driving, and in a state the place marijuana is authorized, however nonetheless check optimistic for the substance for up to a month later and be taken off the highway. The American Habit Centers says for rare marijuana users—that means those who use the substance lower than two times a week—it might probably show up of their urine for up to three days. Someone who makes use of marijuana a number of times a week can check constructive for up to three weeks, and those who use marijuana much more ceaselessly can “take a look at constructive for a month or longer.”

Shortages, manufacturing unit closures, and items waiting to be unloaded at ports are just a few of the current issues affecting the supply chain across America. Trucking transports 72% of products inside the U.S., according to a report from the White Home, however a rising variety of business drivers are sidelined for marijuana use.

The return-to-duty course of that business automobile drivers should endure once confronted with a marijuana violation can keep them from returning to work in any respect. In response to the FMCSA’s month-to-month report, 89,650 industrial drivers are at present in prohibited standing as of April 1, 2022, however 67,368 of them haven't begun the RTD course of. 

If violations continue at the current fee, the truck driver scarcity will further disrupt the provision chain, which suggests higher costs not just for commodities however the price of residing at large.

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