We have heard a rumour (unconfirmed) that a multi-national will be bringing in spot checks on its drivers for drug and alcohol abuse, involving being diverted at short notice to a location en route to provide a urine sample, this is in-line what US truck companies are mandated to do, but never heard yet of a UK based company doing this…
Do you work for the company concerned and have a copy of the memo we hear has been given to drivers that you could send us? ( We understand the company has a policy of forbidding the drivers to talk about it on social media) - It is a story we at CM and T&D are keen to follow up but before we approach the company concerned need to know that it is more than a drivers active paranoia or imagination.
Any info received will be kept in confidence, you can e-mail or PM rather than post on the forums if you wish
O’Conors (before it was Stobarts) used to do random breath tests. I had a few, i don’t think they where that random though, i think the security guard smelt my breath when i signed in
Oh, and Sainsburys have done drug and alcohol tests for donkeys. Done them too.
No just USA companies RICKI any Canadian company crosing into the states drivers must do the p test ,then you are on a list and can be called in for a p test any time you are on duty…irrc you have 3hrs to report to named place to take test.
or else!!!.
Certain USA companies now operating in Canada are forcing operators to p /alchol test drivers or are not allowing companies to load /at said premises.(not talking oil patch here)…Its against Canadian law /human rights etc to force employees to take p tests etc.,so a lot o growling going on.
im talking about flyash, concrete ,allegely ,cant mention names
I don’t know about alcohol spot checks but DHL in Milton Keynes started doing drug tests for warehouse staff about three years ago, I assume the drivers were also subject to the tests.
Having said as far as I’m aware the only drivers at the depot I’m talking about were van drivers not HGV drivers.
Sorry guys I guess I wasn’t clear enough, these are not tests when you turn up at work, these are supposedly going to happen during the working day, Imagine driving up the M1 and you get a message call in at Watford Gap where you will be met and escorted to provide a urine test- these will happen at random times and you will never know when you might get the call. or so we have been told, so far its drivers myth - but if anyone knows different- that’s what we are asking-
totally out of order in the UK and should be fought all the way… ,nothing like the call and trying to park an artic next to a strip mall to get in within the time limit …wondering if the cough medicine/pain killer you took in the morning is going to land you jobless.
They introduced random drug and alcohol testing at my previous place of work about 6 years ago. In the 4 years I stayed there, it never happened. I was later told by a member of the management that “threatening” random tests was something they had to do to satisfy the insurers and that it was never likely to actually happen. The main reason being it is quite expensive.
Mike-C:
Oh, and Sainsburys have done drug and alcohol tests for donkeys. Done them too.
About bloody time too! I’ve lost count of the number of seaside family holidays I’ve had ruined by gangs of ■■■■■■ up donkeys smoking foot long spliffs abusing passers by outside Wetherspoons.
If its true, I can’t see the problem. We have this in the rail industry, firstly as part of your medicals. Then random ones throughout the year by both our employer and Netwrok Rail. Also any incident/accident will trigger a D & A test for the parties involved, and sometimes everyone in the worksite.
We have to notify our employers of any prescription drugs we take so they are on record incase they falg anything up. Also the limit for the alcohol part is a third of that required for road transport, so you could pass a police test on the way to work, and fail the rail one when you get to work.
Used to be subject to them when I worked on the railway…
Due tot the combination of prescription medicines I take for thyroid and high blood pressure, it always meant my test had to undergo “further analysis” meaning I was stood down from safety critical duties until the results came back clear, normally took about 5 days.
Does that mean I would be unable to work for 5 days now?
What a load of old crap, everyone knows who the ■■■■ head of the workforce is, so why should everyone else be tested randomly. Yet again this country is taking another bit of freedom and trust away from the law abiding citizens!
Are you one of those “tried cannabis once but didn’t inhale” type of guys?
The problem with drug testing is a lot of drugs remain traceable in your system long after you’ve taken them and long after the effects have completely worn off.
Are you one of those “tried cannabis once but didn’t inhale” type of guys?
The problem with drug testing is a lot of drugs remain traceable in your system long after you’ve taken them and long after the effects have completely worn off.
Nope, never tried any drugs or smoked, I do drink, but only when I’m not due to go to work, and stop in plenty of time to make sure I’m not under the influance for work.
,nothing like the call and trying to park an artic next to a strip mall to get in within the time limit …wondering if the cough medicine/pain killer you took in the morning is going to land you jobless.
