Comments By Highway 44

Ethan,

What Kearsey said, says it all. Mental health along with physical health, are critical at an individual level. You are currently 19-years of age with the age for CDL interstate travel at 21-years. You also stated the psychiatrist cannot officially diagnose your mental condition until the age of 25-years. It seems that time is on your side, so please be patient.

Might I suggest, in the meanwhile, you could consider employment as a yard jockey/ spotter; it is home daily work maneuvering and backing trailers to and from the yard/ dock doors. Most yard jockeys that I’ve come across have told me that some companies do require, while others don’t require a CDL because the jockey doesn’t leave the yard. At the very least, this type of work could serve as an excellent introduction to this industry. Seek out Trucking Truth member, “Harvest;” he’s currently employed as a yard jockey and could be your guide, if you wish.

Good luck and good journey.

Highway 44

No this has not been reported. I looked on my clearinghouse it is not there. Also, this was pre-employment test non-dot hair follicle drug test.

Berry,

You are very welcome, no worries. Yes, please drop by to report the outcome.

My reference to the consumer report reflecting a non-DOT hair follicle drug test result was in error. I’m not sure if these types of results are even reported to the consumer reports. Of course it’s not on the Clearinghouse because only the DOT regulated urinalysis drug test results (or alcohol) are reported here.

Either way, a re-test at your cost, along with both the documentation of the first “positive” result and the re-test “negative” could be presented as evidence to potential employers in your employment search. This shows them all along it was all a “false-positive,” in spite of how the events unfolded. If you do, then treat a re-test as time sensitive and do it a.s.a.p., as to protect the integrity of the timeline of your case. As to the point of retaining an attorney, my suggestion to do this was based on your statement of having an employment contract for CDL training with the company. My thought is, if you are on the hook financially to this company, then an attorney specializing in employment contracts law could assist in this matter.

Good luck and good journey.

Berry,

Thank you for the added context and clarification of your current position, as you stated, it has you feeling as if you are now blacklisted; it has put your career goals at a standstill, as well as put yourself and family in a financial bind. Please read Dale M.’s response, I second his advice. If I’m in your shoes, based on your testimony, I’d suggest the following strategy:

1.) Gather documentation and evidence. Contact the test service provider/ MRO to request a copy of the document that details the "positive" hair test result. Also, the MRO can explain this result in detail.

2.) Re-test the hair follicle at your cost. Do this soon, as you want to keep the re-test date as close to the original test date. Again, gather documentation such as the “custody and control form” and the “results report.” Once this result shows a “negative,” as it should according to you, then …

3.) Hire an attorney. The attorney will review your case and will advise you on how to proceed e.g., appeal the original test result in an attempt to clear your record, especially as it’s now a blemish on your consumer report. If the other side (the company) considers risk, legal fees and time, you should get the outcome you seek.

(Another thing, it could benefit your case to save the call logs as evidence demonstrating failed attempts to contact the company for answers and next steps. Additionally, the fact this company has labeled you as an eligible “re-hire” on consumer reports leads me to believe the original test result is a “false-positive" ... all the more reason to retain legal counsel to clear your name/ record.)

Try these legal directories, both are an excellent database of lawyers/ law firms, are highly rated and produce top quality local search results.

Martindale-Hubbell

FindLaw

Berry,

Is the official test result recorded as a positive or a false-positive? If your life history truly is drug-free, then it seems the hair follicle test result is a false-positive. As such, surely the discussion with the MRO should have ruled out any other substance (food, prescription medication etc.) which could have caused the false-positive result. When did you drug test, or was this a random that popped? Excluding a random test, it seems to me that the results of both screenings, especially the hair follicle test should have processed prior to program admittance, much less the 3-days prior to skills test day.

This CDL training school, is it a company paid sponsorship? Did you sign a contract and are now financially on the hook? If so, you may want to strongly consider hiring an attorney that specializes in employment law. Again, if your life history is truly drug-free and, since your request to re-test was denied by the company, perhaps legal counsel can demand it on your behalf.

Good luck and good journey.

I can't and won't tell you that you will or will not pass a hair follicle drug screen at this stage of your timeline. Here is some information for review. Please take it all with a grain of salt, as I implore you to due diligence; do your homework in order to make the best, most informed decision on “when” to hair test on your current timeline.

A hair follicle drug screen only requires a specimen size of 1.5-inches; however, a more sizable sample can be taken if the donor’s hair is longer at the time of collection. Human hair growth rates differ individually, but the average is at a growth rate of 0.5-inches per month; therefore, a 1.5” sample yields a minimum 3-month substance usage history (or lack thereof), more history if the hair sample is longer than 1.5-inches at the time of collection. A substance’s metabolic rate varies by both substance type and by an individual's body type. My assumption, in your case, the substance (in question) is THC or a variant thereof. Simply put, the THC in your body can remain in fat cell storage (for an indefinite period of time) until fully metabolized from the body. Again, the rate of metabolism varies by substance type, along with other factors such as an individual's unique body type (metabolic rate), plus the rate and frequency of usage e.g., heavy, chronic usage over the length of an individual timeline.

The shaving of the body hair is usually the step to take once in abstinence of substance usage and in confidence the body has both fully metabolized a substance and is clean of such substance. This ensures hair growth from that point forward to be a clean slate. I believe the general consensus, in terms of metabolic rate, is a wait period of 6-months to 1-year to ensure a clean slate of body hair growth. The DOT only regulates the urinalysis drug screen, not the hair follicle; the hair follicle drug screen is strictly at the company’s discretion. If you want to be certain come July, pre-hire, you could independently hair test at your cost.

Good luck and good journey.

Thomas,

It appears your commercial driver license has been downgraded to a NC, class C, regular driver license. The cause of the downgrade is the expired medical examiner's certificate. A current medical certification, along with a CDL skills re-test seems to be the road ahead, especially given the 2-year gap in fed-med. expiration. The best course of action is to contact the NC DOT/DMV for a clear direction forward.

Good luck!

North Carolina DMV Website

Steph.,

Indeed, it appears to be a pending employment offer.

As Stevo touched on, the Drivers Pulse App. / website is basically a platform utilized to facilitate communication and the exchange / filing of electronic documents throughout the hiring and on-boarding process.

In this case, the scheduled task to complete is a conditional job offer. Pay close attention to a possible expiration / due date for this task. Generally once accepted and signed, a conditional job offer, in this industry, is contingent on the candidate fulfilling specific requirements. These requirements commonly include a criminal background check, verifiable employment history, DMV motor vehicle report, a DOT pre-employment physical / drug or alcohol screening, FMCSA PSP report (pre-employment screening program) and FMCSA drug & alcohol clearinghouse. Once these things are in the clear, the next steps usually are to schedule an orientation date, driver training schedule etc.

Good luck!

... another thing, what BK said.

I believe most companies require residency addresses over the last 3-years on an employment application. Does this include international addresses? As BK suggested, contact several company recruiters to find out.

Buster’s Buddy,

International travel should not be an issue, so long as you’ve maintained legal U.S. citizenship throughout. As I recall, FMCSA/DOT regulations on background check requirements include employment verification, physical exam (federal medical card), pre-employment drug test, drug & alcohol screen history and motor vehicle records (MVR).

Perhaps, a course of action could be to contact the CDL division of your home-state DOT/DMV to get the official and precise information and answers to your questions.

Good luck, dude.

FMCSA DOT Background Checks

BY, in your case you have “grandfathered” status.

[The FMCSA's Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) took effect on February 7, 2022. This set the baseline for training requirements for those seeking for the first time to obtain: 1.) Class A or B CDL, 2.) Upgrade Class B to Class A, or 3.) A school bus (S), passenger (P), or hazardous materials (H) endorsements. The ELDT regulations are not retroactive, so individuals who were issued a CDL or an S, P, or H endorsement prior to Feb. 7, 2022 are not required to complete training for the respective CDL or endorsement.]

Rob T. is correct on the procedure needed for new CDL-A, B/endorsement applicants. For example, according to these regulations, in order to be eligible for the (P) endorsement skills test (pre-trip, backing maneuvers, road test), the ELDT requirement is:

1.) an applicant must obtain a CLP for the (P) endorsement by passing the DMV computer knowledge test (minimum score of 80%). this also is in order to be in legal compliance during the behind-the-wheel training component of the ELDT; 2.) theory/classroom and 3.) behind-the-wheel training components both must be successfully completed with an average, minimum passing grade of 80% before skills testing at the DMV.

FMCSA ELDT Regulations

FMCSA ELDT Training Provider Registry