Michigan recently announced it will expand a controversial roadside mouth swab drug testing program to the entire state after the initial trial phase was a complete disaster. In Michigan if a trooper suspects you are driving while impaired that trooper can require you to submit to a mouth swab for drugs. Refusal to submit is a civil infraction. I can only imagine what your company would think if you got a ticket for refusing to submit to a drug test. The trooper must suspect you are impaired and they said the troopers will look for signs of impairment such as:
Weaving in your lane Driving too fast Driving too slow (look out Prime) Not using your turn signal Once you do your drug test you think everything is fine, right? Wrong. Of the 92 tests they did in the trial period, 20 were determined by blood test to have been FALSE POSITIVES. 9 more were false negatives. That means nearly a third of tests were wrong. Isn't that great? So, you get arrested, the truck is impounded, most companies would fire you and then 2 days later you are released because the blood work came back. If you owned the truck the load may spoil or it will certainly be delayed. Also, you now have a drug arrest which is public record. That Michigan wants to expand this program is just more evidence of a government that just wants money and arrests not safety. An arrest like this can ruin your career. It is criminal for Michigan to do this to people. Some of those arrested will need to get an attorney to file a class-action against the state for violation of their civil rights. Check out the article HERE. I got my tickets to the Mid-America truck show in the mail yesterday! Hope to see you all there! Did you know it is illegal to hold your phone while you are driving a commercial vehicle? It is! BlueParrott wants to keep you safe and they are the official headset of Trucking Answers. Check out their fine products HERE. See you on the road!
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AuthorHi! Welcome. I'm Mark and I've been a professional truck driver for over 33 years, the last 19 years at the same company. It is time that drivers got paid for every minute that we work and we are treated like the licensed professionals we are. Archives
February 2022
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