Along with the initiatives undertaken by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to enhance the safety and the effectiveness of the trucking sector, the FMCSA Clearinghouse was intended to standardize the procedure for reporting and tracking of drug and alcohol abuse by commercial drivers. This guide is developed to assist trucking companies in comprehending the essence of the FMCSA Clearinghouse, its relevance and the influence on your operational activities.

What is the purpose of the Clearinghouse?

The purpose of the Clearinghouse is to ensure that only those drivers who do not have any substance abuse violations are employed in positions that require them to be responsible for safety on the roads. The goal of ensuring that all commercial drivers and trucking companies comply with regulations regarding substance abuse reporting, tracking, and employment vetting was met through the establishment of the FMCSA Clearinghouse. It contains all violations of the alcohol and drug programs for truck drivers.

Why Did the FMCSA Clearinghouse Come About?

Primarily, the FMCSA Clearinghouse was created in order to eliminate safety risks encountered with drug and alcohol use within the trucking industry. Before the advent of the Clearinghouse, employers were often unable to obtain complete and definite information about a driver’s violations in the past. Thus the purpose of creating this database by the FMCSA was to –

• Ensure that unresolved drivers’ violations do not grant drivers the opportunity to be hired or continued to be employed in the safety-sensitive position.
• Increase the amount of accountability within the trucking industry.
• Enable compliance with federal laws on trucking for offer up a better chance of preventing road accidents.

Who Needs To Use The FMCSA Clearinghouse?

The FMCSA Clearinghouse is applicable for all employers who provide a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for use in commerce across state borders. These include:

• Motor Carriers: Organizations who operate business which directly employs drivers performing safety-sensitive functions, for example, drivers who drive trucks with a GVWR of 26000 pounds and above.
• Driver Employers: People, companies and contractors, who employ drivers for CMVs, and private operators who employ themselves in this capacity.
• Substance Abuse Professionals (SAPs): These are individuals who assess drivers who have been abusing drugs and alcohol and suggest when they are fit to go back to work.

What Is the Purpose of The FMCSA Clearinghouse?

The FMCSA Clearinghouse is the central repository for information on all drug and alcohol violations as well as:

• Test results returned as positive
• Not taking the test up to obligation
• And other duty-driving under the influence of alcohol or any other substances.

To ensure that this information is available, employers have to carry out a search on the Clearinghouse before hiring new drivers and continuously throughout the employment of existing drivers. Queries have to be performed with the drivers’ consent. As for the employers, they are in charge of reporting any violation or breach of regulations into the database, hence keeping the information up to date.

How do you access the FMCSA Clearinghouse?

An employer must undertake two types of queries, to be compliant with the FMCSA requirements in the Clearinghouse

1. A ‘full query’ is mandatory when the driver is a new recruit. It details all the information history regarding a driver including test violations and any significant detail regarding the duties undertaken by the driver.
2. A ‘limited query’ is an employer query. It is conducted to find out if a violation has occurred among the existing members of staff. If a violation had indeed occurred a full query has to be done.

What Happens if a Violation is Found Rephrased?

Tipping the chances against some drivers is a huge stereotype of almost every driver who has a violation in the FMCSA clearinghouse. Fulfilling the requirements of employing the driver will provide responsibilities to the trucking company. Procedures like evaluation by the Substance Abuse Professional (SAP), education, and drug tests are required to ensure the driver has no prior misconducts.

Non-observation of these will be punishable for adhering companies as they may face fines along with losing operational authorities.

Key Deadlines for Trucking Companies Rephrased

The following are the scheduled dates that a trucking company should note:

• January 6, 2020: All trucking companies are required to abide by the laws set by the Clearinghouse.
• January 2023: Before employing a new driver, we are required to evaluate their track record from the FMCSA.
• Annual Queries: The policy also emphasizes mandatory requirement to all drivers in relation to every employment regardless of working status.

Benefits from the FMCSA Clearinghouse for Trucking Companies Rephrased

The FMCSA Clearinghouse offers different benefits for the companies which include:

• Improved Safety: Prevents the hiring, and retention of employees in critical and sensitive job areas.
• Enhanced Protection for Entities: Disqualification information for drivers can easily be found and confirmed in one integrated system by the dock managers.
• Lower Liability: It is easier for employers to minimize the risk of loss and fines by ensuring compliance with FMCSA guidelines.

How to Signup for the FMCSA Clearinghouse

To utilize the Clearinghouse, both employers and drivers need to sign up on the FMCSA site. Users are able to follow these simple steps in order to get started.

1. Take a look through the website of the FMCSA Clearinghouse.
2. Register first as an employer, as a driver or as a SAP.
3. Perform the registration and verification process.
4. Conduct database checks with the aim of being compliant.

For trucking companies, The FMCSA Clearinghouse serves as one of the valuable resources that one can use in operating. Such a violation reporting will assist in enhancing the safety of the roads and also reduce legal implications for an employer by restricting an abuser to drive in such sensitive positions. Knowing how the system works, as well as how its restrictions function, will allow penalty costs to be avoided and operations to be improved.