Mileage Matters | November 8, 2022
Prospective driver drug and alcohol query requirements change in January

ATA Office of Public Affairs- Beginning January 6, 2023, a sole query of the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse will satisfy the requirement to investigate a prospective driver's previous drug-and-alcohol violations.

Currently, federal regulations require employers of CDL drivers to conduct both electronic queries in the Clearinghouse and manual inquiries with previous employers to satisfy a three-year window of past violations. However, come January 6, the Clearinghouse will have accumulated three years of historical data, rendering a manual inquiry unnecessary.

It should be noted that employers will still need to obtain general consent from CDL drivers they employ before conducting limited queries in the Clearinghouse to view drivers’ information. In addition, employers are still required to perform other investigations and inquires that are not included in the Clearinghouse, including but not limited the driver’s safety performance history with DOT regulated employers in the previous three years. 
Federal and State Regulations

FleetOwner- National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC) and American Trucking Associations (ATA) reaffirmed their support for utilizing electronic shipping papers in hazardous materials transportation in comments filed October 23 in response to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s request for information regarding hazard communication alternatives.


Transport Topics- The long-simmering controversy over how medical examiners decide when they should send truck drivers at risk for obstructive sleep apnea to undergo costly lab sleep studies is heating up again.

In comments solicited by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on the agency’s proposed update of its medical examiners handbook, truckers and their trade groups continue to make it clear that sleep apnea diagnosis concerns remain, and that the handbook should make some changes to what they perceive as a murky situation.
Government

Transport Topics- The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has filed an appeal challenging a district federal court judge’s ruling declaring unconstitutional the state’s controversial trucks-only tolling plan.
Operations

CDL Life- The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is looking ahead to International Roadcheck and several other major truck inspection and enforcement efforts scheduled for 2023.

Here are the dates you need to know:

Transport Topics- American Trucking Associations (ATA) revealed that it estimates the shortfall of professional drivers has decreased slightly to 78,000 for this year.

However, ATA says the shortage could swell to more than 160,000 over the next decade based on current driver demographic trends and projected growth in freight demand. 

Heavy Duty Trucking- While stockpiles of distillate fuels (diesel and heating oil) are low, the country is not going to suddenly run out of diesel fuel by Thanksgiving, despite reports of a “diesel shortage” driven by widespread misunderstanding of a government statistic.

However, what those low stocks do mean is higher diesel prices, especially in the Northeast where stocks are the lowest and diesel faces competition from fuel oil.

Freight Waves- Mexico’s Senate ratified a bill to permanently end daylight saving time (DST) across the majority of the country.

The majority of states across Mexico turned back their clocks an hour for the last time October 30. The clocks will not be turned forward next spring.
Other Matters
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