DOT Employment Verifications are stuck in 1995.

Check out Blueline’s new SPHRR (verification) platform and see how you can save a TON of time and hassle.

You are going to LOVE it. No more babysitting applicant information, no more paper, and no more faxing! Our mobile-friendly platform allows applicants to input previous employer history and required information in the most efficient and compliant possible. This helps you offload the pain and onboard new drivers faster than ever.

Free setup, free consultation, you are only charged for the verifications ordered. Check out the link below to see how it works or send us your info for a live demo.

SPHRR (Verification) Platform Demos

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To complete this process, employers must enter their FMCSA Portal User ID and password. Any employer having trouble accessing their Portal account should contact the FMCSA Portal Registration Call Center at 800-724-2811 (hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. ET).

Employers with multiple USDOT Numbers in their Portal account will need to ensure they have the correct Clearinghouse Portal user role for each USDOT Number. For more information, see the Clearinghouse Portal User Roles job aid.

To add a USDOT Number (or USDOT Numbers) to a Clearinghouse employer account:

1. Log in to the Clearinghouse
2. Go to My Dashboard > My Profile
3. Click the button that says Add USDOT# at the top of the My Employer Profile screen.
4. Follow the instructions provided by the Clearinghouse.

Don’t have an FMCSA Portal account?

Each Clearinghouse user whose company has a USDOT Number should have their own personal FMCSA Portal Account. To request an account, visit the FMCSA Portal page

Not all entities registered in the Clearinghouse will have a USDOT Number. For more information visit the Do I need a USDOT Number? page on the FMCSA website.

Add Your CDL Information

Employers who have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) have the option to add their CDL information. This will create an additional “Driver” role in their Clearinghouse account.

To add CDL information to an employer account, click the Add CDL# button at the top of the My Profile page (under My Dashboard) and follow the system instructions. If you have already added a CDL, this button will say “Update CDL#”.

Employers must not use this feature to enter information about CDLs belonging to anyone else, including employees. If you have inadvertently entered incorrect CDL information, click the Update CDL# button on your My Profile page and click Remove CDL.

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We, as a Nation, are facing an unprecedented public health emergency that is straining medical resources and altering aspects of American life, including the workplace. The Nation’s transportation industries, which are not immune to the impacts and disruptions resulting from the spread of COVID-19 in the United States, are playing a vital role in mitigating the effects of COVID-19.

DOT is committed to maintaining public safety while providing maximum flexibility to allow transportation industries to conduct their operations safely and efficiently during this period of national emergency.

The below guidance on compliance with the DOT and modal drug and alcohol testing programs apply during this period of national emergency.

For DOT-Regulated Employers:

• As a DOT-regulated employer, you must comply with applicable DOT training and testing requirements. However, DOT recognizes that compliance may not be possible in certain areas due to the unavailability of program resources, such as collection sites, Breath Alcohol Technicians (BAT), Medical Review Officers (MRO) and Substance Abuse Professionals (SAP). You should make a reasonable effort to locate the necessary resources. As a best practice at this time, employers should consider mobile collection services for required testing if the fixed-site collection facilities are not available.
• If you are unable to conduct DOT drug or alcohol training or testing due to COVID-19-related supply shortages, facility closures, State or locally imposed quarantine requirements, or other impediments, you are to continue to comply with existing applicable DOT Agency requirements to document why a test was not completed. If training or testing can be conducted later (e.g., supervisor reasonable suspicion training at the next available opportunity, random testing later in the selection period, follow-up testing later in the month), you are to do so in accordance with applicable modal regulations. Links to the modal regulations and their respective web pages can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/odapc/agencies.
• If employers are unable to conduct DOT drug and alcohol testing due to the unavailability of testing resources, the underlying modal regulations continue to apply. For example, without a “negative” pre-employment drug test result, an employer may not permit a prospective or current employee to perform any DOT safety-sensitive functions, or in the case of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), you cannot hire the individual (See 14 CFR § 120.109(1) and (2)).
• Additionally, DOT is aware that some employees have expressed concern about potential public health risks associated with the collection and testing process in the current environment. Employers should review the applicable DOT Agency requirements for testing to determine whether flexibilities allow for collection and testing at a later date.
• As a reminder, it is the employer’s responsibility to evaluate the circumstances of the employee’s refusal to test and determine whether or not the employee’s actions should be considered a refusal as per 49 CFR § 40.355(i). However, as the COVID-19 outbreak poses a novel public health risk, DOT asks employers to be sensitive to employees who indicate they are not comfortable or are afraid to go to clinics or collection sites. DOT asks employers to verify with the clinic or collection site that it has taken the necessary precautions to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
• Employers should revisit back-up plans to ensure the plans are current and effective for the current outbreak conditions. For example, these plans should include availability of collectors and collection sites and BAT, and alternate/back-up MRO, as these may have changed as a result of the national emergency. Employers should also have regular communications with service agents regarding the service agent’s availability and capability to support your DOT drug and alcohol testing program.

For DOT-Regulated Employees:

• If you are experiencing COVID-19-related symptoms, you should contact your medical provider and, if necessary, let your employer know about your availability to perform work.
• If you have COVID-19-related concerns about testing, you should discuss them with your employer.
• As a reminder, it is the employer’s responsibility to evaluate the circumstances of the employee’s refusal to test and determine whether or not the employee’s actions should be considered a refusal as per 49 CFR § 40.355(i).

For Service Agents:

• As a collector, BAT, laboratory, MRO, or SAP, you should continue to provide services to DOT-regulated employers if it is possible to do so in accordance with State or local mandates related to COVID-19. Should you have concerns about COVID-19 when testing or interacting with employees, please follow your company policy, directions from State and local officials, and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

You are encouraged to continue to monitor guidance from public health officials and to refer to official government channels for additional information related to COVID-19. The CDC provides helpful guidance and insight from medical professionals who closely monitor the virus. Click here to access the CDC latest updates (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html). Also for reference, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released guidance on preparing workplaces for COVID-19
(https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf)

The post DOT Guidance Regarding COVID-19 appeared first on Blueline.

Old forms allowed the use of either a driver’s social security number (SSN) or employee identification number (EIN) when completing a CCF or ATF. However, now the FMCSA requires that drivers’ commercial driver’s license numbers (CDL) be used instead of SSN or EIN when FMCSA-covered drivers’ positive drug or alcohol test results are reported to the Clearinghouse.

What does this mean for Employers, C/TPAs, Collectors and Alcohol Technicians?

• In accordance with 49 CFR 382.123(b), the person completing the CCF or the ATF must annotate the driver’s CDL number and State of Issuance in Step 1, Section C of the CCF or Step 1B of the ATF for each FMCSA-regulated test.
• If the employer or C/TPA does not provide the CDL and the State of Issuance, then the collector or alcohol technician should ask the driver for this information at the collection site.
• Even if the CDL number and State of Issuance is not listed on the CCF, the collector must send the controlled substance test specimen to the laboratory for testing.

Please ensure that your forms have been updated to reflect these changes. If you have more questions on how this change might affect you please see our previous updates here and here as well as the FMCSA’s announcement.

The post Reminder: Changes to Federal Drug Testing and Alcohol Forms appeared first on Blueline.

We’ve listed some of the more notable changes that occurred in 2019 below. Please make sure that you’re up to date with your own area’s changing legislation in order to stay compliant.

‘Ban the Box’ and ‘Clean State’ Laws

2019 saw the continuation of ‘Ban the Box‘ laws being spread, in the last decade nearly three dozen states and more than 150 communities have passed legislation that help ensure ex-offenders aren’t left out of the hiring pool.

Other clean state laws included:
-New Mexico’s Criminal Offender Employment Act
–Colorado Chance to Compete Act
–Fair Chance to Work Law – Westchester County, New York
-Clean State Laws – Colorado, Nevada, West Virginia

Pay Equity Laws

Pay equity laws took affect in Oregon, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Washington, Alabama, Illinois, Missouri, New York, Kansas City, and Suffolk County in 2019. Even more pay equity laws are expected to be passed in 2020 and 2021.

These laws are being passed in an effort to close the wage gap between men and women. Most of these pay equity laws include statutes that prevent employers from asking about an employee’s previous pay history. As these laws continue to spread, please stay aware for your own hiring protocols.

Some lawmakers are adding additional concepts to these pay equity laws such as safe harbor. Colorado’s pay equity law which passed in 2019, but will take effect in 2021 encourages employers to complete internal pay equity analyses to find wage differences based on gender and remedy them.

New Marijuana Accommodations

Marijuana laws have largely changed on the state or local level within the past couple of years. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have now passed some form of medical marijuana law, with 11 states legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

This has been one of the largest subjects of interest for employers as they grapple with how to handle this new legislation within their own workforce.

If you have questions on marijuana legislation and how it may play a role in your own hiring and drug testing policies, we highly recommend consulting legal council about your specific state and area laws.

Some more notable legislation that took place during 2019 with marijuana included some of the following:

-New Jersey’s Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act
-New Mexico’s SB 406
-Oklahoma’s Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act
-Nevada’s AB 132
-New York City’s Int. No. 1445-A
–Whitmire v. Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Looking Forward

As we continue to move forward into 2020, we expect to see many of these same legal trends continuing to spread. Especially as new technologies and continued efforts to build a more equal workforce continue.

The post A Look Back: 2019’s Big Legal Decisions and Changes In Screening appeared first on Blueline.

But where does this leave employers? And where does the National Safety Council stand on marijuana use for employees?

The NSC released their current position on marijuana use with their most recent announcement, “At this time, NSC believes there is no level of cannabis use that is safe or acceptable for employees who work in safety sensitive positions.”

The National Safety Council has been a workplace safety advocate for more than 100 years, helping provide guidance for employers.

When asked what had influenced their position against marijuana use, they referenced a recent National Institute on Drug Abuse report that compared employees who tested negative for marijuana against employees who tested positive for marijuana. The report’s results found that employees who tested positive for the drug are:

-55% more likely to have industrial accidents
-85% more likely to be injured
-75% more likely to have absenteeism

In an October 2019 press release, Lorraine M. Martin, president and CEO of NSC, said, “Research clearly shows that cannabis impacts a person’s psychomotor skills and cognitive ability. In order to protect our employees and those around them, we need to acknowledge the impairing effects of cannabis. We urge employers to implement policies stating no amount of cannabis consumption is acceptable for those who work in safety-sensitive positions.”

Both the NSC and the Occupational and Environmental Medical Group have urged Congress to take worker safety into account when considering marijuana legalization. But things are still in flux, which is why the NSC’s position is so profound. It may help provide employers with some clarity and direction in the constantly changing world of marijuana legalization.

The post National Safety Council’s Position on Marijuana in the Workplace appeared first on Blueline.

To see more detailed information on the difference between CBD and THC as well as current state legislation on CBD levels, check out our previous blog post that covers that here.

CBD or cannabidiol is one of around 400 compounds found in cannabis. And while CBD is a cannabinoid and shares some structural similarities with THC, it does not product a “high” like the THC portion of the plant does.

Because CBD does not create a high, it is perceived as less harmful. Many different products have emerged that contain CBD to help users benefit from its therapeutic and medical properties, such as:

-Oil (most popular)
-Beauty and health products
-Vapors
-Infused edibles (gummies, chocolates, etc.)

However, despite CBD being less harmful, it may still cause adverse reactions in some people. Reported side effects from human and/or animal studies have included:

-Fatigue/drowsiness
-Changes in appetite
-Decreased blood pressure
-Anxiety
-Possible endocrine disruption
-Altered immune function
-Dizziness
-Psychomotor slowing
-Diarrhea

Will CBD affect my drug test results?

Maybe. CBD itself would not show up positive on a drug test for marijuana or marijuana metabolite. However, in some states, CBD can contain up to 5% THC. If the CBD product contained THC at a sufficiently high concentration, there is a possibility that it could result in a positive urine drug test result.

It is also important to remember that the use of CBD or “medical marijuana” is still not considered an alternative medical explanation for a positive test result in federally-mandated drug tests. CBD is still classified as a Schedule I substance and remains illegal at the federal level.

As an employer it’s more important than ever to stay up-to-date in the always-changing landscape of marijuana, and most importantly, to make sure that your drug testing policies stay updated as well.

Please make sure that your company’s substance abuse policy is updated to clearly reflect your position on marijuana and the use of CBD products within your workplace.

The post CBD and Drug Testing appeared first on Blueline.

This new program change will be effective beginning on January 1st, 2020.

If Blueline currently manages random testing of your DOT drivers, we will implement these new program changes for you. But we wanted to make you aware of this announcement and prepared for the random rate increase beginning in January.

The random drug testing process will remain exactly the same. The minimum annual percentage rate for random alcohol testing will remain at 10%.

To see more detailed information about this change, you can view the DOT’s official notice here.

Thank you for your continued business, please feel free to reach out to us with any questions!

Blueline Services Drug Testing Department
801-575-8378
mail@blueline-services.com

The post FMCSA Increases Random Drug Testing Rate to 50% appeared first on Blueline.

Vision Cambodia is a non-profit organization that works to provide the wonderful people of Cambodia with hope for a better life by building clean water wells, English schools, donating bikes for transportation, supporting hospitalized baby births, and numerous other opportunities for learning and growth.

Clean water is one of the most essential parts of life that over 4 million Cambodians live without every day. Without access to clean water, they are in constant risk of contracting illnesses that can be debilitating or even fatal. We believe that every person should have access to clean water and are so grateful to have been able to be a part of this initiative this year.

You can check out more about Vision Cambodia here.

The post Giving Back With Vision Cambodia appeared first on Blueline.

Here are a couple frequently asked questions we receive about hair testing and their answers.

What is hair testing?

Hair testing is a drug screening method that uses hair instead of urine or saliva to screen for presence of drug abuse. Hair testing is the only drug testing method that provides up to a 90-day history, allowing testers to screen for repetitive drug use. When compared with urine testing, hair testing tends to provide a greater number of positives due to its longer detection window. Hair testing requires a small sample of hair that is collected under direct supervision without any invasion of privacy. 

What drugs can Blueline Services test for with hair?

Blueline Services’s 5-panel hair test can detect cocaine, marijuana, opiates (codeine, morphine & 6-acetylmorphine,), amphetamines (amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, MDA), and phencyclidine (PCP). Blueline Services’s Extended Opiates panel adds oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone

How effective is hair testing in detecting drug users?

Labs regularly report finding five times as many users compared to laboratory based urine testing programs.

What time period does hair testing cover? 

The typical length of head hair tested is 1½ inches from the root end. Since the average growth rate of human head hair is approximately ½ inch (1.3 cm) per month a hair analysis covers an approximate 90-day time frame. This time frame is an approximation only since an individual’s actual hair growth rate may vary from the average.

Does body hair give the same type of results as head hair? 

Body hair can be used for testing. However, while body hair is generally acknowledged as representing a more distant time frame than head hair, the approximate time period cannot be identified due to the high variability of growth rates.

How soon after use can a drug be detected in hair? 

It takes approximately 5-10 days from the time of drug use for the hair containing drug to grow above the scalp where it can be collected. 

What is the turnaround time? 

Hair testing results can usually be returned within 2-3 business days.

Does the laboratory wash the hair prior to analysis? 

All hair specimens are washed prior to confirmation testing to remove possible external contamination.

Can external exposure to drugs (marijuana smoke, crack smoke, etc.) have an effect on the hair test results? 

Along with a wash procedure, Laboratories looks for both the parent drug and metabolite (by-product) of drug usage (where appropriate). For marijuana analysis, Labs detects only the metabolite (THC-COOH). This metabolite is only produced by the body and cannot be an environmental contaminant.

Can a hair test be beaten/adulterated? 

Currently there are no known successful commercial adulterants for hair tests and the recommended use of normal hair care products/procedures (shampoos, dyes, permanents, relaxers, bleaches) do not have a significant effect on results.

Do you pull the hair out of the scalp to examine the follicle? 

No. Testing a hair follicle would require a painful collection process. Hair testing requires the smallest sample in the industry, snipping above the scalp. No hair is “pulled” out of the scalp, and the hair follicle is not disturbed. Sample collection is a completely painless, quick procedure

How does hair analysis compare to urinalysis?

The primary difference is the wider window of detection with hair. Cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, and PCP are rapidly excreted and usually undetectable in urine 72 hours after use. Rather than the hours or days covered by a body fluid test, a hair test covers a period of months, ensuring that a drug user cannot evade the test by simply abstaining for a few days. Additional advantages include non-intrusive collection procedures, virtual elimination of test evasion through substitution or adulteration, and greater accuracy through test repetition capability. The combination of an increased window of detection and resistance to evasion makes hair testing far more effective than urinalysis in correctly identifying drug users.

How sensitive is hair testing in detecting drug users?

Comparison studies have proven that hair testing is up to 6-10 times more effective in identifying drug users than urinalysis. In other words, 85% of the drug users identified by a hair test could get through a urine screen and enter the workforce.

Can hair drug tests be run on people with little or no hair?

Yes. Hair can be collected from several locations on the head and combined to obtain the required amount of hair. If head hair is not available, certain body hair can be used as an alternative.

Can hair testing be used for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) testing?

No, the U.S. Department of Transportation has not approved hair testing at this time.

The post Hair Testing FAQs appeared first on Blueline.