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

(Stacker) - Delayed packages, naked grocery store cabinets, and inflated costs have change into the norm for American consumers over the past two years. While the COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst, there are different challenges causing supply chain issues, together with a lack of truck drivers to move goods from one place to another. In late 2021, the American Trucking Associations reported that the driving force scarcity had risen to an all-time excessive of 80,000, partly because of the aging inhabitants and shrinking wages.

In response, the Biden administration vowed in December to get more truck drivers on the road by boosting recruitment efforts and expediting the issuing of business licenses. Nevertheless, that received’t have an effect on another hurdle: disparate marijuana legal guidelines throughout the U.S. that are contributing to an increase in violations. In 2022, a rising number of truckers are being taken off the job, which might quickly worsen the already suffering provide chain.

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

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 responsibility in a state where those substances are authorized, they may nonetheless be confronted with a violation due to the Division of Transportation’s (DOT) zero-tolerance policy on the federal stage.

“Whereas states could permit medical use of marijuana, federal laws and policy don't acknowledge any legitimate medical use of marijuana,” a DOT handbook for industrial car drivers reads. “Even if a state allows using marijuana, DOT laws deal with its use as the same as the usage of every other illicit drug.”

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

Under laws set forth by the DOT, truck drivers are tested for drug use—including marijuana—previous to beginning a new job. They can also be tested at random, as well as after accidents. In January 2020, the DOT’s Federal Motor Provider Security Administration additionally upped the random drug testing price from 25% of the common number of driver positions to 50%. Truck drivers are mainly screened for drug use through urinalysis, however there are actually new saliva checks being proposed as nicely.

At worst, if a driver fails only one drug test, that may be grounds for termination underneath DOT laws. At finest, they are temporarily taken off the road and required to finish an evaluation with a substance misuse professional who determines their rehabilitation course of, which might generally take months.

As of January 2020, employers are additionally required to record business drivers who fail a drug take a look at in the FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. These violations remain searchable for five years. Potential employers are additionally required to check the Clearinghouse to see if a commercial driver had any previous violations, which might stop them from being hired.

In recent times, more states have legalized each leisure and medical marijuana, making it more widely out there and used. Nonetheless, marijuana use is still prohibited for commercial truck drivers, state legal guidelines and medical prescriptions aside. In keeping with the FMCSA, “a driver may not use marijuana even when [it] is advisable by a licensed medical practitioner.” The DOT has maintained its zero-tolerance stance for marijuana use even as it’s become legalized, saying, “Legalization of marijuana use by States and other jurisdictions additionally has not modified the application of U.S. Department of Transportation drug testing regulations.”

A industrial driver might use marijuana while off-duty, not driving, and in a state the place marijuana is authorized, but nonetheless check optimistic for the substance for as much as a month later and be taken off the road. The American Habit Centers says for infrequent marijuana customers—meaning those that use the substance less than two occasions every week—it will probably show up of their urine for up to three days. Somebody who uses marijuana several occasions per week can test positive for up to three weeks, and those that use marijuana even more frequently can “take a look at optimistic for a month or longer.”

Shortages, factory closures, and goods waiting to be unloaded at ports are simply among the current points affecting the supply chain across America. Trucking transports 72% of merchandise inside the U.S., according to a report from the White House, but a growing number of commercial drivers are sidelined for marijuana use.

The return-to-duty process that commercial automobile drivers should undergo once faced with a marijuana violation can preserve them from returning to work in any respect. In line 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 haven't begun the RTD course of. 

If violations proceed at the current rate, the truck driver shortage will additional disrupt the provision chain, which means larger costs not just for commodities however the price of residing at massive.

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