What New Truck Drivers Need To Know About Trucking Companies That Do Hair Follicle Testing:
Currently, hair follicle drug testing cannot be used by trucking companies to satisfy Federal DOT drug testing requirements, but can be used internally as a prerequisite of employment. Results cannot be reported to the DOT as a failed test, nor can they be shared with other companies. A failed hair follicle drug screen CAN and MAY be reported on your DAC report as a failed test, depending on the trucking company's policy.
Detection Time: Hair follicle testing can detect traces of illegal substances from as recently as 10 days to as far back as 90 days (using a typical 1 1/2-inch hair sample) from their use or ingestion, which is the standard length many companies will use. Substances will remain in the hair and detectable until that section of hair is cut off. Technically, a trucking company could test back 30 days for every 1/2-inch of hair, if they wanted to.
See Also: CDL Drug & Alcohol Test Methods & Detection Times
Use of hair from elsewhere on the body is normally acceptable if the hair on the head is too short or non-existent. Body hair grows significantly slower than head hair, allowing companies to test for a greater period of time. Some companies are reportedly testing up to 1 full year prior.
A driver who does not have enough hair on their body to be tested may be classified as a "refusal" and denied employment by a particular company. Showing up with a completely hairless body, outside of a medical condition, would generally raise eyebrows and suspicion, anyways.
Companies that use hair follicle testing will still require urinalysis (UA), as well, as hair follicle drug testing is not yet allowed to be used by carriers as a substitute for UA testing to satisfy Federal requirements, and pre-employment screening is required by the FMCSA. Trucking companies can, and may, use hair follicle results internally against drivers and potential drivers, but cannot report it to the DOT as a failed test.
Information on trucking companies that are performing hair follicle drug testing is updated on a regular basis, based on information as we get it, and is as accurate as possible. Be advised that the lists of companies that do hair follicle drug testing is based on reports from actual and potential truck drivers, and NOT the trucking companies themselves.
**Please check out the following discussion forum threads:**
DOT Drug Testing: Urinalysis or Hair Follicle?
Trucking Companies That Have Been Reported To Require Hair Follicle Testing:
- AAA Cooper Transportation
- Averitt Express
- Big M Transportation
- C.R. England
- Comcar CTL
- XPO/Con-Way Freight
- Crete
- Cypress Truck Lines
- Decker Truck Lines
- Dillon Transport
- General Motors
- Gordon Trucking
- Halvor Lines
- Heartland Express
- H. O. Wolding
- Hub Group
- Interstate
- JB Hunt
- KLLM/FFE
- Knight Transportation
- Lynden
- Maverick
- McElroy Truck Lines
- Metropolitan Trucking
- Melton
- Paschall Truck Lines
- Pride Transport
- Roehl
- Schneider
- Shell Oil
- Shaffer Trucking
- SuperService
- Swift Transportation
- Transport America
- USXpress
- Werner Enterprise:
- WEL Companies: only if you have a previous failed test or conviction
Trucking Companies That Have Been Reported To Require Urinalysis (UA) Drug Testing Only (and date last updated):
- Beelman: Sep, 2015
- CalArk: Sep, 2015
- Celadon: Mar, 2015
- Central Freight Lines: Sep, 2015
- Comcar CT: Sep, 2015
- Comcar MCT: Sep 2015
- Covenant Transport: Apr, 2015
- CRST: Dec, 2017
- Dayton Freight: Sep, 2015
- Falcon Transport: Sep, 2015
- Groendyke: Sep, 2015
- Henderson Trucking: Aug, 2015
- Hogan Feb 2016
- Jim Palmer: Jan, 2018
- Jacobson/XPO: Sep, 2015
- Martin Transportation Systems: Sep, 2015
- May Company: Oct, 2014
- Mercer: Sep, 2015
- Millis Transport: Aug, 2015
- Navajo: Oct, 2014
- Old Dominion Freight Line: Oct, 2014
- Oak Harbor Freight Lines: Sep, 2015
- P & S Transportation: Sep, 2015
- PAM: Oct, 2014
- Prime, Inc.: Sep, 2015
- R + L Carriers: Sep, 2015
- R.E. Garrison: Sep, 2015
- Southern Refrigerated Transport: Aug, 2015
- Stevens Transport: Feb, 2016
- TMC: Aug 2017
- TransAm: Aug, 2015
- Trans-System: Sep, 2015
- TransWood Carriers: Sep, 2015
- Watkins Shepard: Sep, 2015
- Western Express: Apr, 2016
- Wil-Trans: Jan, 2018
- USA Truck: Sep, 2015
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