Question
My driver was coming home into florida last night 7/11 and called from the cabbage cop station {agi stop} at the line and said the dot was going crazy. Thats not what caught my attention it was the little trailer they had set up and were supposedly bringing some drivers into everybody was screaming on the radio they were pulling random drug tests on the side of the road. From my understanding {I have been wrong before} with out chain of custody or a mro on site which they could of had this would or should not be legal go figure. Any input? keep them gears tall
sandpiperx[/B][B]nullwhats up with that.....[LIST][/LIST]null
Answer
What or if there is a rule about that, but what's the problem. When we obtained our CDL's and went to work for someone, we submitted to a pre-employment. If you aren't doing drugs, should not be a big deal as long as an MRO or the like is actively involved. Most companies have a drug enforcement policy in effect that says you can be tested anytime they want to..
Answer
There is no problem I have been doing this way to long to be worried about drugs and there enforcement but it can be troubling to have whats called overkill for the sake of compliance and I was waiting to see how long it would take for the old line {if you dont do drugs whats the worry} the real question was did any body else run up on this and know what was really happening. And as far as doing drugs we and I mean most everybody does drugs in one way or another whether legal or not and there are many cases do the research in trucking or not where drug testing has many faults as to positive and negative results.If it is done in a clinical fashion or on the side of the road by some gun ho DOT officer looking to make a name for them selfs I would not want to bet my career on it. seeee yaaaa p.s. ALL regulated carriers must have a drug testing program set up
the fines can be monsterous without one and believe this we are all regulated one way or another in this industry.............
sandpiperx
[This message was edited by sandpiperx on July 12, 2002 at 11:00.]
Answer
And as far as doing drugs we and I mean most everybody does drugs in one way or another whether legal or not and there are many cases do the research in trucking or not where drug testing has many faults as to positive and negative results.
So, you are putting people who have perscritions given by a doctor for a legitimate thing....in the same category with those doing illegal drugs??? I think I'm gald you aren't doing the drug testing. Maybe I am misunderstanding you a little. But, it looks like you are being a little steriotypical.
My concern with an on the side of the road test would be...it is not a controlled test area. It would be rather easy to be set up for a false positive. If they want to do a random test...fine...but they need to do it in a proper type of setting.
Karen
TFBU Goddess of the Massive Mainframe,
Offical TFBU Directeur d'amour et Idylle (Love & Romance Director)
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If they were never allowed them to have passed the law in the first place. Testing 100% of new hires and random testing 10% several times during the year just to catch the 1% isn't very economical. I may be wrong with the figures, but you do get my drift. There is a lot of money to be made in the "Pee Test Business". But, it's one business that I would not want to be in. There is an old saying in the cattle industry ,"Drive Safe and Don't Get Any On Ya"!!
Thanks
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little angel if you miss understood the quote it is a statement about the system not that your doctor issued them to you or not.the fact that the testing is not done in a controlled clinic, lab or office even if you are on prescibed meds. The fact that they are doing it is the problem. and you got quite denfensive to the statement that had nothing to do with the legal or illegal drug use in this country . Dont tell me just because your doctor prescribed them to you that people dont abuse them just as bad or even more so as if they were illegal. that would be quite ignorant of the facts. Nothing I had said is a stereotype of any kind the point of the topic was to see if any drivers had run up on this not to get into the drug testing issue that has cost alot more than its ever done any real good in this industry. seeee yaaaa
sandpiperx
Answer
Drug tests are a good thing. If the DOT didn't require them, I would still spend the money for them. And it's not just the risk of having a driver get wired and kill someone. In my experience, people who do drugs don't take care of your equipment, and are frequently late. In short, they cost you more than you can make.
However, I would be seriously scepticle of drug tests done in the way it appears these would have to be done. There is too much at stake here. Drug tests must be done in a sterile environment, in my opinion, to avoid mistakes. Running these guys one after another through a make-shift collection center can't be 100% accurate, and anything less than 100% is unacceptable.
But then again, I don't trust much of what the government does anyhow.
prickly pear
What goes around, comes around. So be careful what you wish on someone else!
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i do not do illegal or perscribed medications,so i've nothing to worry about but i think that they are going to far with random testing on the roads. just for the fact of what was said about not being performed in a controlled clinic. a trailer setup on the side of the road is not my idea of a controlled lab. i also do not like the idea of putting my career into the hands of a dot officer. has that dot officer been trained in the administration and collection procedure of drug testing? one goof up on the testing procedure and that will leave a black eye on your record. sure you can probably contest it (if you were tested positive and you know good and well that you are negative) but it will still show up on your record. i have never been convinced those test are 100% accurate anyways
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You've never had evidence against you fabricated, have you...?
That roadside DOT testing sure sounds questionable to me.
It's bad enough that cops are allowed to perform their own alcohol testing without disinterested 3rd party supervision. My ex- had one of his tests doped by a cop in California who was determined to "get the wetback" no matter what.
We couldn't prove it, though, and my sworn statements that he hadn't had anything to drink that day meant nothing, either, becuase everyone knows "cops never lie under oath."
Just one of the many reasons I moved out of California.