Drug Testing Requirements for Commercial Truck Drivers

Commercial trucks pose a major threat on the roads to all vehicles they drive near, workers on active construction sites, bicyclists, and pedestrians. As a driver, you will mostly encounter large commercial trucks on busier roads like freeways, highways, and expressways. Typically, speed limits tend to be much higher on these roads than they are on local roads. The combination of heavyweight, large size, and speed means that if a passenger vehicle collides with a commercial truck they are extremely vulnerable to major destruction and substantial damages. If drug or alcohol is in a truck driver’s system, the perils for everyone else on the road increase significantly.

Victims of catastrophic commercial truck accidents in Arizona require the very best, most experienced Arizona commercial truck accident lawyer to represent their case. All of the parties that are responsible to pay a victim of a Phoenix commercial truck accident will be assessed and included in an Arizona personal injury claim. Commercial truck accidents are well-known to be very complex and because of the amount of damages settlement amounts can be very high. To ensure you get a fair settlement for everything you had to suffer through after your Phoenix 18-wheeler accident, contact the Arizona serious injury attorneys at ELG immediately. 

What Are the Commercial Truck Driver Drug Testing Regulations?

There are very specific regulations in the commercial trucking industry. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has guidelines that truck drivers and their employers must follow and these directions were developed to improve road safety. Additionally, stricter drug and alcohol testing is supposed to happen within the industry. When a truck driver is tested for alcohol in their system, they will lose their ability to work for 24 hours if their blood alcohol content measures above .02.

There are specific times that truck drivers will be tested for substance use including:

• Every professional commercial truck driver is required to pass a drug test before they can be hired.
• When a commercial truck driver gets into an accident while they were on the job they will be tested for drugs.
• The FMCSA requires trucking companies to randomly drug test their drivers.
• It is a trucking company’s responsibility to ensure they don’t allow any drivers to get behind the wheel if they believe the individual could be under the influence. Therefore, if an employer that one of their commercial drivers is inebriated that they are drug-tested.
• Any truck driver that was suspended from work because of an FMCSA violation must be tested for drugs before they will be able to go back to work.
• For repeat offenders, those drivers that have multiple violations of FMCSA guidelines will be subject to routine testing.

Speak with an Arizona Truck Accident Attorney

Truck drivers that are working while intoxicated happen even though there are testing regulations in place. Driving while intoxicated is reckless for any driver and it is especially perilous when it comes to a commercial truck because of the harm that these vehicles inflict. If you have been in a Phoenix commercial truck accident, please call the talented and resourceful Phoenix truck accident law firm at ELG. Schedule your free consultation with an attorney at ELG at (623) 877-3600.