As of January 2023, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse will have accumulated three years of data. That means motor carriers will no longer need to check with prior employers about driver applicants. Theoretically, the Clearinghouse will now hold all that Data. All new employees must consent to a query in the Clearinghouse before being hired for a safety-sensitive position. This is to check their drug and alcohol history with other companies and to prevent the hiring of a person who is not in compliance after a violation.
In other FMCSA news
As required in the Clearinghouse-II final rule, beginning November 18, 2024, State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) must query the Clearinghouse before issuing, renewing, upgrading, or transferring CDLs and CLPs, and must review a driver’s information when notified by the Clearinghouse of a status change. SDLAs will be required to remove the CDL or CLP privilege from the driver’s license of an individual subject to the CMV driving prohibition, which would result in a downgrade of the license until the driver complies with the return-to-duty (RTD) requirement.
This rule will essentially make a nationwide database of CDL drivers and help prevent a driver with a violation from getting a CDL license when they have a violation.
To keep up on the notices for rule changes and information about drug and alcohol testing, subscribe to the Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy Compliance website at https://www.transportation.gov/odapc/ListServe_Notices