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

(Stacker) - Delayed packages, naked grocery retailer shelves, and inflated prices have change into the norm for American consumers over the previous two years. Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst, there are different challenges causing supply chain issues, including a lack of truck drivers to move items from one place to another. In late 2021, the American Trucking Associations reported that the driving force scarcity had risen to an all-time high of 80,000, partly because of the getting older population 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. Nonetheless, that won’t have an effect on another hurdle: disparate marijuana laws across the U.S. which might be contributing to a rise in violations. In 2022, a rising number of truckers are being taken off the job, which could soon worsen the already suffering supply chain.

As more states legalize recreational marijuana—four of which did so prior to now year and three extra are expected to by the tip of 2022—extra truck drivers have examined positive for the substance. As of April 1, 2022, 10,276 industrial car drivers have examined optimistic for marijuana use. By the identical time in 2021, there had been 7,750 violations. That’s a 32.6% increase 12 months over year.

Truck drivers who travel cross-country face inconsistent state rules as 19 states have legalized recreational marijuana and 37 states allow it for medicinal functions. But even if a driver used marijuana or hemp-based merchandise like CBD while off obligation in a state the place those substances are legal, they could still be confronted with a violation as a result of Department of Transportation’s (DOT) zero-tolerance coverage on the federal degree.

“Whereas states might permit medical use of marijuana, federal laws and coverage don't acknowledge any reliable medical use of marijuana,” a DOT handbook for business vehicle drivers reads. “Even when a state permits the use of marijuana, DOT laws deal with its use as the identical as using any other illicit drug.”

Stacker checked out what’s causing hundreds 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—including marijuana—prior to beginning a brand new job. They can also be examined at random, as well as after accidents. In January 2020, the DOT’s Federal Motor Provider Safety Administration additionally upped the random drug testing charge from 25% of the average variety of driver positions to 50%. Truck drivers are primarily screened for drug use via urinalysis, but there are actually new saliva assessments being proposed as properly.

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

As of January 2020, employers are additionally required to list business drivers who fail a drug take a look at within the FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. These violations remain searchable for 5 years. Potential employers are additionally required to examine the Clearinghouse to see if a industrial driver had any previous violations, which would stop them from being hired.

In recent times, extra states have legalized each leisure and medical marijuana, making it extra widely available and used. Nevertheless, marijuana use continues to be prohibited for industrial truck drivers, state laws and medical prescriptions apart. In keeping with the FMCSA, “a driver could not use marijuana even when [it] is really helpful by a licensed medical practitioner.” The DOT has maintained its zero-tolerance stance for marijuana use even because it’s become legalized, saying, “Legalization of marijuana use by States and other jurisdictions also has not modified the appliance of U.S. Department of Transportation drug testing regulations.”

A commercial driver could use marijuana while off-duty, not driving, and in a state the place marijuana is legal, however still test positive for the substance for as much as a month later and be taken off the highway. The American Dependancy Facilities says for infrequent marijuana customers—that means those who use the substance less than two instances every week—it could show up in their urine for up to three days. Somebody who makes use of marijuana several instances per week can take a look at optimistic for as much as three weeks, and those that use marijuana even more ceaselessly 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 present issues affecting the availability chain across 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 vehicle drivers should undergo as soon as faced with a marijuana violation can maintain them from returning to work in any respect. In response to the FMCSA’s monthly report, 89,650 commercial drivers are at present in prohibited standing as of April 1, 2022, but 67,368 of them have not begun the RTD course of. 

If violations proceed at the present fee, the truck driver shortage will additional disrupt the supply chain, which suggests increased prices not just for commodities however the price of residing at massive.

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