DOT Drug Testing: Urinalysis Or Hair Follicle?

Once you tell a lie, you have to keep telling them to cover yourself.

The truth is ALWAYS the best way to go. You don't have to "remember" what you said to someone if you tell them the truth.

If you tell the truth up front, yes, you might not be able to be hired for a while. Till everything is out of your system. But that is up each trucking company.

Right now those companies are doing UA testing. That doesn't mean 2 months down the road if they have you do a random drug test that they won't change to follicle testing at that time.

As Daniel B. just said. If you are found out for some reason, then it is bye bye birdie on any trucking career. Just about forever. Very good chance you would be black-balled for life.

We all have to pay for mistaken choices in our lives. No one that is alive can say that they have never made a mistake in their life choices. But as the old saying goes, "If you want to listen to the music, eventually you will have to pay the piper".

All in all it is YOUR choice. Good luck and I hope the best for you.

Keep it safe out there. Joe S

Thanks Geo, I appreciate your honesty, and from the list Brett posted pam was a hair and u/a. I think

Daniel I wouldnt lie, but I have been burned a couple of times being honest,A couple of times people have told me I'm too honest. I have never been arrested and I have never had a dui/dwi I havent ever had a speeding ticket.knock on wood! I had a disorderly conduct a public drunkeness but that was 16 years ago. I was 22 and before I was diagnosed bipolar.

Joe S. I appreciate what you are saying and trust me when I say I have paid the piper. I have lost everthing in my life except my son. I have nowhere to live. I am crashing in my moms apt. on a cot. My car insurance and my title to my car are in both of our names She can drop me from the insurance anytime she wants. I lost my job in march, NOT drug related, long story. I have been defeated by life in many ways, But somebody always has it worse.

Sometimes in life we need to catch a break, and I am working hard to catch one. Again it wasnt for recreational use but just liked prescribed meds yeah it made me feel good, but it made me feel like I was "normal" for the first time in my life, but I guess thats the price you pay for trying to live a "normal" life.

Kevin B. Like I said, in the end, it is YOUR choice no one else's.

I lost my first wife when our daughter was 4 years old. Later in life, my second wife left me and went to live with her boyfriend (which I didn't know she had).

I lost my job, my home, my car. I had to live with my sister and her husband and work as a farm hand for several years before I even started getting back on my feet.

Normal life. I am not sure what that is. Normal to one might be weird to another. But I do get your meaning.

As far as catching a break. We make our own breaks sometimes. Just as we make our own life choices.

But let me ask you this. Remember, as I said, this is YOUR choice. No one else's.

If you lie on your application. Or "stretch the truth" and you are caught and banned from trucking. How will you feel then?

As the old saying goes, "When life throws you lemons, make lemonade".

I have been burned a couple of times being honest,A couple of times people have told me I'm too honest.

I would bet money that everyone at one point in their lives being honest has backfired on them. I have lost jobs from being honest. I have almost gotten into fights from being honest.

And the only person that has ever told me I was too honest, was someone that was trying to cheat other people.

Kevin, this is your choice. The only sure thing you, or anyone, can do with their life is take one day at a time. One step at a time. And when you come to a choice in life, look before you leap.

My prayers and best wishes for you.

Keep it safe out there. Joe S

Thanks Joe being a trucker is way different than any other job so I have to be cautious. Just by what you are posting it seems that you are a very intelligent person. I just have to have faith and tell the truth.

Thank you again!

Kevin, have you cleared the other drugs you take for Bipolar thru a DOT physician ??? Cuz some of those drugs are on the "can not take in trucking" list....Some can be substituted...so you need to find out now, so that you can wean off any, if need be, and get the others up to levels in your system...Just a heads up so you don't have any surprises....Keep us informed, and we'll gladly help you in any way we can....A hard life some times make us appreciate the easy breaks that do come along....

Starcar you always seem to be the bright light in a dark room! well I take celexa welbutrin and I think its lamictal the generic name is lamotrigine.Would you know if they sre ont the no drive list?

THANK YOU! Kevin

Kevin, the feds don't keep their lists updated. But they do keep the DOT doctors updated. So your Dr can call a Dr who does DOT physicals and get the answers. And, if you have picked a company, they SHOULD...I'll say should be able to tell you what their DOT physical allows. But if you get a jump on this, and get your drugs right, then you won't have a problem when you do your school physical. Alot of folks get sent home for this VERY thing...So get it out of the way, can carry on with your Adventure !!

This is perfect, I see my psychologist tomorrow so I should be able to get that info then! I think I am going to do a company sponsored program and I have it narrowed down to a few. but again I dont know if my past discretions will catch up to me. Thats why I would like to know what companies do which type of testing.I do know that Brett had compiled a list but a few of the companies werent listed. I have a son to support so I need to do what I can. I have sent out resumes to tons of companies and I am not even getting phone calls, so I figured I always wanted to be a trucker so nows the time.

Thanks again, Kevin

Unless the company specifically requests something longer than a 90 day test, the lab will take the hair, trim it down to the bottom inch and a half, and test that for the drugs listed previously. Head hair is the preferred method, because head growth is more consistent and uniform.

If you don't have head hair, they WILL take hair from ANY OTHER PORTION OF THE BODY, under arms, pubic, back, chest, leg, whatever they can get thats at least an inch and a half long. However, body hair grows at different speed, so it is generally calculated as being in the past year.

Essentially, they need enough hair to equal the thickness of a single strand of spaghetti, maybe a bit smaller. If you are worried about it, I suggest you shave your head 90 - 120 days before class starts. Then, no worries.

You're better off letting them take the head hair as the test is more reliable.