Operator Drug- and Alcohol-Testing Across Modes

The primary objective of this synthesis is to identify the current practices used to deter drug and alcohol use among operators within the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S.DOT) regulated community. The intended target audience is broad, including DOT staff, various DOT agencies, companies of all sizes in the regulated industries, drug- and alcohol-testing organizations, and the research community. The document begins with a brief history of the transportation workplace drug- and alcohol-testing program, the general approach, the reasons for testing, some of the issues that impact the validity of the tests, and an outline of the specific regulations by mode. Next, the findings of inquiries to companies in the regulated community are reported with an emphasis on alternative strategies aimed at deterring illegal alcohol and drug use among employees. The structure and content of the section on alternative strategies reflect what the companies in the regulated community reported. Finally, some general recommendations for new research are included. They are offered with the strong belief that data obtained through methodologically sound research can help clarify some of the lingering issues associated with alcohol and drug testing in the transportation workplace.