As of January 1, 1996, California's Commercial Drivers that are subject to the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) standards in Part 383 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) are also subject to the new alcohol and drug regulations in Part 382 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR).

This includes truckers, independent contractors, most school and passenger bus drivers, some firefighters, and all companies with fewer than 50 employees must comply with the same safety regulations for controlled substances and alcohol testing that larger California companies have followed since 1991.

The foundation for new and stricter safety regulations affecting passenger and freight haulers was laid in 1988 with the adoption of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Further refinements were added in the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991. While some independents see testing as a violation of their civil liberties and more "over regulation," refusal to comply can result in loss of operation authority and/or steep fines imposed by the Department of Transportation.

So how do you comply with the safety regulations and still run your business?

The most simple and cost effective way is to join a consortium. A consortium is a "group or association" of employers or contractors that may be pooled together for the purposes of meeting the minimum annual percentage testing rate of 50% for controlled substances and 25% for alcohol over a 12 month period.

If you're interested in finding out more about consortiums and/or the regulations give Future Trucking Professionals a call at (916) 241-2099.