Another federal mandate kicks in Jan. 6, 2020; The Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse.
All drivers who hold either a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) need to register by the deadline before they can respond to employer consent requests or access their driver record in the Federal Motor Carrier AdministrationFMCSA Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.
There have been a lot of questions regarding the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse mandate that will go into effect, and here are answers to some of the most common questions.
- What is the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse? The Clearinghouse will be a central database where all drug & alcohol violations are required to be reported and queried. A driver must provide consent within the clearinghouse for the motor carrier to query their record. A query will be required for pre-hire and then annually thereafter.
- What will it be used for? To confirm a driver is not prohibited from operating a CMV due to a drug and/or alcohol violation.
- Do I have to do it? A driver must register to provide consent for the motor carrier to query and meet compliance with the regulation.
- Is it your policy or the government? This is a mandate by FMCSA a.k.a The Government.
- Do I have to pay for it? The motor carrier is responsible for paying the query fee.
- What happens if I don’t sign up? If a driver does not register, they will not be able to provide the required consent for the motor carrier to query their record and comply with the requirement of 49 CFR Part 382, Subpart G. A non-compliant driver file would result in that driver being disqualified from operation.
Still want to know more?
You may find more FAQs on the FMCSA website at https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/FAQ.
Questions? NHH Services
NHH Services is committed to driver support, compliance and safety. If you have any questions, give us a call at 765-650-4164 or send us an email to info@nhhservices.com.
