Random Drug and Alcohol Testing Rates will remain the same from 2022! The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced two weeks ago that they are keeping the random drug testing rate for 2022 at 50% and alcohol testing will also remain at 10%.
This is solely due to the number of positive random drug and alcohol tests that are reported each year.
Before 2020, the drug and alcohol testing rates were held pretty constant at 25% and 10% of all "Safety Sensitive" employees needing to be tested respectively. In 2020, the FMCSA bumped the required random testing rates up to 50% of your driver pool for drugs and 10% of the pool for alcohol testing.
What is a "Safety Sensitive Employee"?
The FMCSA requires that all of a trucking company's "safety sensitive employees" be randomly tested for drug and alcohol use throughout the year. Per the FMCSA, "This includes employees who are "eligible" at work to drive a CMV at anytime". So, your random testing program could apply to others who don't typically operate your trucks but could do so. (Think in-house maintenance personnel and managers who may have a CDL). Learn more about how the FMCSA defines "Safety Sensitive Function" here.
Random Drug and Alcohol Testing Example
These random testing rates are annual minimum requirements. So if a drug testing rate of 50% and an alcohol testing rate of 10%, then an employer with 100 safety-sensitive employees would have to ensure that 50 or more random drug tests and 10 or more random alcohol tests were conducted during the calendar year. Of course, you can (and are encouraged) to test more of your workers.
Since the 2022 random testing rates were unchanged, the FMCSA didn't have to post a new notice in the Federal Register.
My Safety Manager provides fleet safety and compliance services for trucking fleets. Our specialized safety management solutions put expert safety professionals in place to help deliver results—safe drivers out on the road who are staying compliant with regulations. We work with you to create customized solutions that meet your unique needs, taking what’s typically far too much work off your plate so you have more time to grow your business.
If you would like more information on implementing your random drug and alcohol program, please call us at 1-855-211-5550 or email us at info@CarrierRiskSolutions.com.
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