Marijuana violations have taken over 10,000 truck drivers off the street this 12 months, including more provide chain disruptions

(Stacker) - Delayed packages, bare grocery store cabinets, and inflated costs have grow to be the norm for American consumers over the previous two years. Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst, there are other challenges inflicting provide chain issues, together with an absence of truck drivers to transport goods from one place to another. In late 2021, the American Trucking Associations reported that the motive force scarcity had risen to an all-time high of 80,000, partly due to 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. Nevertheless, that received’t impact another hurdle: disparate marijuana legal guidelines across the U.S. which can be contributing to an increase in violations. In 2022, a growing number of truckers are being taken off the job, which could soon worsen the already suffering supply chain.

As more states legalize leisure marijuana—4 of which did so prior to now year and three extra are anticipated to by the top of 2022—extra truck drivers have tested optimistic for the substance. As of April 1, 2022, 10,276 business vehicle drivers have examined optimistic for marijuana use. By the same time in 2021, there had been 7,750 violations. That’s a 32.6% improve 12 months over year.

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

“Whereas states could enable medical use of marijuana, federal laws and coverage do not acknowledge any legitimate medical use of marijuana,” a DOT handbook for business automobile drivers reads. “Even when a state permits the use of marijuana, DOT regulations deal with its use as the same as the usage of some other illicit drug.”

Stacker looked at what’s causing 1000's of truckers to be removed from their jobs, and the looming domino effect of the continued supply chain disruptions.

Underneath rules set forth by the DOT, truck drivers are tested for drug use—together with marijuana—prior to beginning a brand new job. They may also be examined at random, as well as after accidents. In January 2020, the DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also upped the random drug testing charge from 25% of the typical number of driver positions to 50%. Truck drivers are mainly screened for drug use by way of urinalysis, however there are now new saliva assessments being proposed as effectively.

At worst, if a driver fails just one drug test, that can be grounds for termination beneath DOT laws. At greatest, they're briefly taken off the road and required to finish an evaluation with a substance misuse professional who determines their rehabilitation course of, which may sometimes take months.

As of January 2020, employers are additionally required to checklist industrial drivers who fail a drug take a look at within the FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. These violations remain searchable for five years. Potential employers are also required to test the Clearinghouse to see if a business driver had any earlier violations, which would forestall them from being hired.

In recent years, extra states have legalized both leisure and medical marijuana, making it more broadly accessible and used. Nonetheless, marijuana use is still prohibited for industrial truck drivers, state laws and medical prescriptions apart. Based on the FMCSA, “a driver may not use marijuana even if [it] is advisable by a licensed medical practitioner.” The DOT has maintained its zero-tolerance stance for marijuana use even as it’s develop into legalized, saying, “Legalization of marijuana use by States and different jurisdictions also has not modified the applying of U.S. Department of Transportation drug testing regulations.”

A commercial driver could use marijuana whereas off-duty, not driving, and in a state the place marijuana is authorized, however nonetheless take a look at constructive for the substance for up to a month later and be taken off the street. The American Habit Centers says for rare marijuana users—meaning those who use the substance lower than two instances every week—it can present up in their urine for up to three days. Somebody who makes use of marijuana a number of times every week can take a look at positive for up to three weeks, and those that use marijuana even more continuously can “test positive for a month or longer.”

Shortages, manufacturing unit closures, and items ready to be unloaded at ports are simply a few of the current points affecting the provision chain throughout America. Trucking transports 72% of products inside the U.S., based on a report from the White Home, but a growing number of business drivers are sidelined for marijuana use.

The return-to-duty process that business automobile drivers should endure as soon as faced with a marijuana violation can preserve them from returning to work at all. In keeping with the FMCSA’s monthly report, 89,650 business drivers are currently in prohibited standing as of April 1, 2022, however 67,368 of them have not begun the RTD course of. 

If violations continue on the present rate, the truck driver scarcity will additional disrupt the provision chain, which means increased costs not just for commodities however the cost of living at large.

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