Carriers and drivers tend to believe that Hours-of-Service (HOS) regulations are stacked against them and, in some cases, make fatigue and speeding problems worse. It takes effort for drivers and dispatchers to track hours on and off the road and appropriately schedule trips. What benefit is there to the carrier to comply with these regulations?

As one of the nation’s leading safety advocates, the National Safety Council (NSC) spotlights issues in an effort to “eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy.” The organization has identified prescription drug misuse as one of its key safety issues because of the alarming rise in addiction rates, ER visits, overdoses, and fatalities. Dr. Don Teater, Medical Advisor for the National Safety Council, has emphatically stated, “Painkillers don’t kill pain. They kill people.”

Designated Employer Representatives (DERs) who review drug and alcohol paperwork will occasionally notice errors on Custody and Control Forms (CCFs) and Alcohol Testing Forms (ATFs). Some need to be corrected by affidavit from the collector or technician who committed the error, or the test must be cancelled, per §40.203 and §40.269.    The following errors require correction by affidavit.    1. The collector’s signature is omitted on Step 4 of the CCF.  2. The technician does not sign the ATF.  3. The employee’s signature is omitted on Step 5 of the CCF, unless the reason for the missing signature is noted on the remarks line of the CCF.  4. The employee’s signature is omitted from Step 4 of the ATF for an alcohol test with a confirmed result of 0.02 or greater, and the technician did not make a remark to explain why the signature is missing.  5. A Non-Federal or expired...

Find this and many other informative articles in our quarterly newsletter, out now! Breath alcohol tests are performed at DATCS by having the donor blow forcefully into the Evidential Breath Testing (EBT) device’s mouthpiece for at least 6 seconds or until the EBT indicates that an adequate amount of breath has been attained. If the result is less than 0.02, the test is considered negative. If the result is 0.02 or greater, a confirmation test must be performed after a waiting period of at least 15 minutes. The confirmation test must be completed within 30 minutes from the completion of the original screening test. A new mouthpiece must be used and the EBT must be tested to assure proper registering. The BAT (Breath Alcohol Technician) shall report all results to the employer in a confidential manner. This report may be in writing, in person, by telephone or electronic means. If the...

In a world this size, it is very easy to underestimate the number of harmful and highly addictive drugs that thrive on our streets, as well as drugs that are just now gaining public awareness. Each week, we'll examine harmful and/or illegal drugs of all  forms, shapes, and sizes. There are some you may be familiar with, but there will likely be a surprise or two along the way. This week, we turn our focus to the synthetic hallucinogen 2C-1, also known as Smiles.  A synthetic hallucinogenic otherwise known as 2C-I, it's most often sold as a powder, which can be mixed with candy or chocolate before ingesting. Like its synthetic predecessors, such as K-2 and bath salts, smiles seems to appeal to a younger demographic—half of those exposed to it in 2011 were teenagers, according to the American Association of Poison Control. (source: The Fix) 2C-I is part of the 2C family...