Marijuana violations have taken over 10,000 truck drivers off the road this 12 months, adding extra provide chain disruptions

(Stacker) - Delayed packages, naked grocery retailer cabinets, and inflated costs have develop into the norm for American consumers over the previous two years. While the COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst, there are other challenges causing provide chain issues, together with an absence of truck drivers to transport items from one place to a different. In late 2021, the American Trucking Associations reported that the motive force scarcity had risen to an all-time high of 80,000, partly because of the ageing inhabitants and shrinking wages.

In response, the Biden administration vowed in December to get extra truck drivers on the highway by boosting recruitment efforts and expediting the issuing of business licenses. However, that won’t impact one other hurdle: disparate marijuana laws across the U.S. which can be contributing to an increase in violations. In 2022, a growing variety of truckers are being taken off the job, which might soon worsen the already struggling supply chain.

As more states legalize leisure marijuana—four of which did so in the past year and three extra are expected to by the end of 2022—more truck drivers have tested constructive for the substance. As of April 1, 2022, 10,276 industrial vehicle drivers have examined positive for marijuana use. By the identical time in 2021, there had been 7,750 violations. That’s a 32.6% increase yr over year.

Truck drivers who journey cross-country face inconsistent state regulations as 19 states have legalized leisure marijuana and 37 states permit it for medicinal functions. But even if a driver used marijuana or hemp-based products like CBD whereas off obligation in a state where these substances are legal, they may nonetheless be faced with a violation because of the Division of Transportation’s (DOT) zero-tolerance policy at the federal stage.

“While states could enable medical use of marijuana, federal laws and coverage don't recognize any reputable medical use of marijuana,” a DOT handbook for commercial car drivers reads. “Even when a state permits the usage of marijuana, DOT laws treat its use as the same as the usage of another illicit drug.”

Stacker checked out what’s causing 1000's of truckers to be faraway from their jobs, and the looming domino effect of the continued provide chain disruptions.

Below rules set forth by the DOT, truck drivers are tested for drug use—including marijuana—prior to beginning a new job. They can be tested at random, as well as after accidents. In January 2020, the DOT’s Federal Motor Provider Safety Administration also upped the random drug testing price from 25% of the average number of driver positions to 50%. Truck drivers are primarily screened for drug use by way of urinalysis, however there at the moment are new saliva tests being proposed as effectively.

At worst, if a driver fails just one drug check, that may be grounds for termination underneath DOT regulations. At best, they're temporarily taken off the road and required to finish an evaluation with a substance misuse skilled who determines their rehabilitation process, which might generally take months.

As of January 2020, employers are additionally required to list business drivers who fail a drug test in the FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. These violations remain searchable for five years. Potential employers are also required to check the Clearinghouse to see if a business driver had any earlier violations, which would stop them from being employed.

Lately, extra states have legalized each leisure and medical marijuana, making it extra widely available and used. Nevertheless, marijuana use remains to be prohibited for commercial truck drivers, state laws and medical prescriptions aside. According to the FMCSA, “a driver could not use marijuana even when [it] is beneficial by a licensed medical practitioner.” The DOT has maintained its zero-tolerance stance for marijuana use even because it’s grow to be legalized, saying, “Legalization of marijuana use by States and other jurisdictions additionally has not modified the applying of U.S. Department of Transportation drug testing rules.”

A industrial driver might use marijuana whereas off-duty, not driving, and in a state where marijuana is authorized, but nonetheless test positive for the substance for up to a month later and be taken off the highway. The American Addiction Centers says for infrequent marijuana customers—that means those who use the substance less than two instances per week—it will possibly present up of their urine for as much as three days. Someone who uses marijuana a number of times per week can test constructive for up to three weeks, and people who use marijuana even more continuously can “test positive for a month or longer.”

Shortages, manufacturing unit closures, and goods waiting to be unloaded at ports are simply a few of the current issues affecting the supply chain throughout America. Trucking transports 72% of products inside the U.S., according to a report from the White Home, however a rising variety of commercial drivers are sidelined for marijuana use.

The return-to-duty process that commercial automobile drivers should undergo once confronted with a marijuana violation can preserve them from returning to work at all. In accordance with the FMCSA’s monthly report, 89,650 industrial drivers are at present in prohibited status as of April 1, 2022, but 67,368 of them haven't begun the RTD course of. 

If violations proceed on the current fee, the truck driver scarcity will additional disrupt the availability chain, which suggests increased prices not only for commodities however the cost of living at massive.

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