Transportation Blog

Recent changes by the U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”) to its federal drug and alcohol testing regulations will likely require motor carriers to revise their written drug and alcohol policies on or before October 1, 2010.  Specifically, the DOT adopted revisions to the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services.  The primary revisions to the drug and alcohol testing regulations relate to changes to the laboratory analysis of urine specimens, including the following:

                1.            Lower initial screen and confirmation cut-off levels for cocaine.

                2.            Lower initial screen and confirmation cut-off levels for amphetamines.

                3.            Initial screening for 6:00 a.m. abuse (Acetylmorphine, a heroine-specific metabolite).

                4.            Initial screening for MDMA (Ecstasy).

These changes are effective on October 1, 2010, and likely require revisions to motor carriers’ DOT-mandated written policies in order to advise the drivers as to the initial screening for these two new drugs.