Comparing drug testing methods in the trucking industry: The drug and alcohol clearinghouse versus hair testing

Abstract

The Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991 mandated urine drug testing for U.S. truck drivers but some trucking companies prefer hair testing because it has a longer look back period and better detects lifestyle drug users. Previous research established that 276,500 current truck drivers may be disqualified if they submitted to hair drug tests instead of federally accepted urinalysis. This research compares hair and urine drug test results provided by eight U.S. trucking companies who are members of the alliance for driver safety and security (i.e., the trucking alliance) with urine test results drawn from the federal drug and alcohol clearinghouse to determine the differences in hair versus urine positivity rates and drugs detected. Results indicate that hair testing has a 6.00% positivity rate, 4.01% higher than urine. If this difference were generalized to the drivers who submitted urine tests to the drug and alcohol clearinghouse, hair testing would have likely disqualified 57,337 additional drivers in 2020. Results further indicate urine testing is better able to detect marijuana while hair testing is superior in detecting cocaine and opioids. This implies federal agencies should consider allowing hair test results to be submitted to the drug and alcohol clearinghouse to support a more drug‐free driver workforce.