Not New But Good Info

I've read several post on companies who drug test. I want to begin on the most serious profound drug test, marijuana. Marijuana can stay in your system up to 100 days depending on use, bmi , and quality of thc. If your taking a hair test 90 days in your system, using hair from your head. If your taking hair test using hair from other areas on your body up to a 1 yr because hair on the body grows much slower. If your going into the trucking business and making a career, make as decision right now because you can't do both. For those who say you can don't listen to them because God forbid if you get into a mix while on the road and they find drugs in your system you might be going to jail and destroy the rest of your life. If you need to know cut off levels in dot testing, google dot cut off levels and make sure it's the official site. You will educate yourself on what to expect. Please remember if you used drugs make sure you buy a home test prior to doing your examination. I've seen dumb people take the test and didn't know if they were clean or not.

Or if you do drugs, either grow up and stop or.....Skip over this site and find a different career bc I'd rather not share the road with you and your poss. 80,000 pound truck.

Not trying to be a butthead and I understand your only trying to educate others Greeny. This is only my opinion when it comes to mind altering drugs and putting others at risk. This is just not the career for all that.

I couldn't agree more. I once was a prior drug user and it took a lot for me to make a decision to stop. I had issues that I thought drugs could cope but I was terrible wrong. It took my family and my spiritual life for me to finally stop. It was hell for me to finally come clean and I'm not going to throw away that hard work down the drain. The same determination I had to do drugs, I now put it to use learning ever day about trucking. For someone entering into the trucking business they need to have a made up mind to stop. Although, I'm new in trucking this a rewarding career. You don't have to have a master degree to make a 6 figure income and with trucking it can happen. I wanted spread the word on people wondering about drugs but I want to make clear you can't do both.

:)

I'm glad you didn't take it the wrong way. In all actuality I support the whole pro-pot movement and legalization. I don't have any problems with weed or anyone that does it. But I have to be damn honest with myself and others that would think they can live that lifestyle and drive one of these trucks. I put weed down many years ago because it just didn't fit in with my life anymore. But that's not to say other's can't make it work for their life, just stay WAY away from trucking or any other jobs that not only puts yourself but others lives in jeopardy based off decisions your stoned a## would have to make in a matter seconds.

I know that's right. I've been in prison and a lot of people couldn't make it a day in there. Truckers need to be supportive for one another and tell the truth. Bottom line you can't do drugs and be a trucker!!!

Keep in mind that currently - FMCSA/DOT testing is still URINE ONLY. Hair testing is still considered pre-employment only testing.

If you are pulled from a random or post-accident test - it will be urine or in the case of serious injury/death, likely both blood AND urine.

This is quite understandable (from an employer standpoint) as ANYONE can quit for 30-45 days prior to a urine test (if they want the job bad enough), and go right back to their "evil ways", hoping to not get caught on a subsequent random. Doing "long-term-historical testing" (hair), ensures the employer is not getting someone with a history of use outside of the 30 day range of weed (and less than that for other drugs).

Again - understandable from the point that a company doesn't want to take you on - spend the time & $$ to get your trained, and have to kick you to the curb because you went back to the "only smoke on weekends" use, and get popped on a random and have to be let go, or complete a "return to duty" SAP procedure. Shoot - I "dropped in a baggie" for my 24 year old kid the other day, so he could pass a pre-employment with a computer retail store (sad sad sad - but the kid needed a better job).

I'm in recovery for quite a number of years. Done my fair share of pretty much everything at one time or another. While I agree with the general consensus that weed should be legal, or at least not CRIMINAL - but also that it has no place whatsoever for someone who is operating in a "Safety Sensitive" position. And this is from someone that has 1,000's of incident free miles following the Grateful Dead around all through the 70-80's, tripping my skull off behind the wheel after shows.

Even if it was federally legalized, tax-stamped and sold at every 7-11 and liquor store - I still doubt DOT/FMCSA/FAA/NTSB/etc would be okay with it being used by licensed professional operators. That - and there's no real test to determine whether someone is impaired AT THE MOMENT, or from yesterday or the day before.

Rick

The last time I smoked weed was when I was 20 years old I'm now 35 and I'm sorry but I gotta say you all sound like the commercials.....with that said I agree don't do drugs and drive but want a person does on their personal time is none of our business.... So what the government needs to do is find a way to test a person to see if they are currently on a drug and throw the book at them but if a person goes 3 to 8 weeks clean and on home time and wants to smoke a joint and then stop again for another 3 to 8 weeks or how ever long that person may be out in his/her truck so be it and same with any other job as long as that person ain't high at work who cares its none of our business..... AGAIN I DONT DO DRUGS AND I HAVENT SMOKED WEED SINCE I WAS 20 AND I WOULD NEVER GO INTO WORK UNDER the INFLUENCE.... Just saying

The last time I smoked weed was when I was 20 years old I'm now 35 and I'm sorry but I gotta say you all sound like the commercials.....with that said I agree don't do drugs and drive but want a person does on their personal time is none of our business.... So what the government needs to do is find a way to test a person to see if they are currently on a drug and throw the book at them but if a person goes 3 to 8 weeks clean and on home time and wants to smoke a joint and then stop again for another 3 to 8 weeks or how ever long that person may be out in his/her truck so be it and same with any other job as long as that person ain't high at work who cares its none of our business..... AGAIN I DONT DO DRUGS AND I HAVENT SMOKED WEED SINCE I WAS 20 AND I WOULD NEVER GO INTO WORK UNDER the INFLUENCE.... Just saying

"Just Say No"... A "commercial"?

I don't think that anyone in particular was "moralizing" - nor did we "politicize" what is, and is not the governments business. As a "tea party member", I'm all over what is, and is not "the grubberments business".

But facts are facts - and rules are rules. If the Choomer-In-Chief were to magically make weed legal at the federal level - the STATES still have to option on whether or not it will be (just like there are "dry counties" in some states). Even if that WERE to happen - I find it highly unlikely that the regulatory agencies are going to make it OK for anyone in a "safety sensitive position" (drivers, pilots, train engineers, etc.) to test positive for weed. Yes - there is more "precise testing" out there (which is how they were able to determine how stoned Mike Brown was, when he encountered Officer Wilson) - but again - we're talking FEDERAL REGULATIONS here. And even if somehow weed were universally legal here, it would still be years before the regulatory agencies would figure out how to test and determine if someone was OK to drive. So much of a hassle - that it's easier to just leave it on the prohibited list.

So again - facts are facts - rules are rules. Yes - it IS about personal choice. If you CHOOSE to be in a Federally Regulated/Safety Sensitive Position, and KNOW that there are rules in place - you can CHOOSE to work and not partake PERIOD - or you can choose to go work in a job that is not a Federally Regulated/Safety Sensitive Position. And all of our personal opinions on how harmless weed is don't mean a thing if you go on hometime, do some bong hits with the boys, and get pulled for a random a week later.

And I'm really not trying to "moralize" here - I didn't make the rules, I just know what they are.

I'm (amongst other things) in the Longshoremans Union down here. I'm licensed to operate Light/Heavy Forklifts, Tractor/Trailers and Container Handlers on all the ports in SE Florida. I have to drug test every 6 months if I want to operate equipment. Again - it's not up to debate, or moralizing - rules are rules.

On a personal note - I was on pain meds following a car accident some 2.5 years ago. Have a couple of bulging discs in my neck - I get frequent headaches. 1/2 a vicodin knocks them right out (where other non-prescription drugs do not). I've been seriously considering getting OTR (have had my CDL for 6 years - never used it, except on the port), and I came OFF the meds when I started considering getting into the industry. Not that I can't get a doctors note - not that 1/2 vicodin affects my ability to operate safely. Just that I don't care to be hassled, debate or explain to a trucking company why I tested positive.

And honestly - I would completely understand why a trucking company would just find it EASIER TO SEND ME HOME, than have to wonder about me becoming a liability.

Same with the occasional weed puffer - it's just easier for a company to SEND THEM HOME, than to have to wonder about them.

Scenario - you puff a little while on home time. Say, you get pulled for a "random": QC beeps or phone rings. "Where are you now?". They direct you to the nearest testing center. Refusal to drop is the same as a positive. A positive legally disqualifies you to drive - and you can no longer drive. Company has to get your load relayed, and get someone to pick up your truck. And don't think this doesn't happen - ALL THE TIME.

Which is why some companies have gone to long-term-hair-testing as a pre-employment test.

Rick