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

(Stacker) - Delayed packages, naked grocery store cabinets, and inflated prices have turn out to be the norm for American customers over the previous two years. Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst, there are other challenges causing supply chain points, including a scarcity of truck drivers to transport items from one place to another. In late 2021, the American Trucking Associations reported that the motive force shortage had risen to an all-time high of 80,000, partly because of the getting older 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. However, that received’t affect another hurdle: disparate marijuana legal guidelines throughout the U.S. which are contributing to a rise in violations. In 2022, a rising number of truckers are being taken off the job, which might soon worsen the already suffering supply chain.

As extra states legalize recreational marijuana—4 of which did so prior to now yr and three extra are expected to by the tip of 2022—extra truck drivers have tested constructive for the substance. As of April 1, 2022, 10,276 business automobile drivers have examined constructive for marijuana use. By the identical time in 2021, there had been 7,750 violations. That’s a 32.6% enhance 12 months over year.

Truck drivers who journey cross-country face inconsistent state laws 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 while off duty in a state the place these substances are authorized, they might still be confronted with a violation as a result of Department of Transportation’s (DOT) zero-tolerance policy at the federal level.

“While states could allow medical use of marijuana, federal laws and coverage do not acknowledge any authentic medical use of marijuana,” a DOT handbook for industrial automobile drivers reads. “Even if a state permits the usage of marijuana, DOT rules treat its use as the identical as the use of any other illicit drug.”

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

Under rules set forth by the DOT, truck drivers are examined for drug use—including marijuana—previous to starting a new job. They can also be tested at random, as well as after accidents. In January 2020, the DOT’s Federal Motor Service Security Administration additionally upped the random drug testing rate from 25% of the common number of driver positions to 50%. Truck drivers are primarily screened for drug use by way of urinalysis, but there are actually new saliva exams being proposed as effectively.

At worst, if a driver fails just one drug take a look at, that can be grounds for termination beneath DOT laws. At finest, they're temporarily taken off the highway and required to finish an analysis with a substance misuse skilled who determines their rehabilitation process, which can 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 5 years. Potential employers are additionally required to verify the Clearinghouse to see if a commercial driver had any previous violations, which would prevent them from being hired.

In recent times, more states have legalized both leisure and medical marijuana, making it more widely accessible and used. However, marijuana use continues to be prohibited for industrial truck drivers, state laws and medical prescriptions apart. In line with the FMCSA, “a driver might 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 turn into legalized, saying, “Legalization of marijuana use by States and other jurisdictions additionally has not modified the appliance of U.S. Department of Transportation drug testing laws.”

A industrial driver might use marijuana while off-duty, not driving, and in a state where marijuana is legal, but still check constructive for the substance for up to a month later and be taken off the road. The American Addiction Facilities says for rare marijuana customers—meaning those that use the substance lower than two instances every week—it might show up of their urine for up to three days. Somebody who uses marijuana a number of occasions every week can test positive for as much as three weeks, and those that use marijuana even more continuously can “take a look at positive for a month or longer.”

Shortages, manufacturing facility closures, and items ready to be unloaded at ports are just a number of the current points affecting the availability chain throughout America. Trucking transports 72% of products throughout the U.S., based on a report from the White House, but a growing variety of commercial drivers are sidelined for marijuana use.

The return-to-duty process that business car drivers should undergo as soon as faced with a marijuana violation can keep them from returning to work at all. Based on the FMCSA’s monthly report, 89,650 business drivers are presently in prohibited status as of April 1, 2022, however 67,368 of them have not begun the RTD process. 

If violations proceed at the present price, the truck driver scarcity will additional disrupt the availability chain, which means greater prices not just for commodities however the price of dwelling at massive.

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