Hi all I work as a class 2 driver for quite a big company ive only been working there about 6 months and its my first driving job… and to be honest im quite shocked at the amount of drivers that smoke weed or do coke granted not many do it during work time but a few do. Anyway I stopped smoking weed about a year ago when I decided I wanted to go into driving for a living as I thought if I was to ever get drug tested I could lose my licence… there are talks at work and the union are saying that the company are going to start doing alcohol and drugs testing what are the consequences of testing positive ? I mean does it go onto any permanent record or is it a case of you just get sacked and go and try to find another job ? Thanks folks
Firm i work for recently sacked four drivers who failed a drugs test. As far as i know thats as far as it goes i dont think they inform the police or dvla.
Obviously could be awkward it you want a reference.
As far as I’m aware, the result of company alcohol/drug testing is between the employee and the company and no-one else.
tachograph:
As far as I’m aware, the result of company alcohol/drug testing is between the employee and the company and no-one else.
That is correct
For the authorities to prosecute a driver they must catch them driving whilst under the influence
Not actually experienced it myself but I would think the same as above that it is between employer/employee. I don’t take any drugs, but I often wonder how an employee stands with weed, as I understand it stays in your system for sometime. So what would happen if someone went to Amsterdam on a stag do, smoked weed pretty much all weekend, then got drug tested at work a few days after arriving back?
Owe ok thanks for the replies I thought It would have been more serious than that I suppose this is why a lot of them ent that bothered if they get caught they’ll just look for another job
Yh karl I often wonder about the whole Amsterdam thing as I used to be a smoker I would like to go for my stag do just to have a bit of a blast out and a laugh before tieing the knot… but obviously im a bit worried because my licence is my living without it I would be [zb]ed but if your not risking losing your licence and only your job its not to bad… theres lots of work out there for drivers as long as you havnt got any endorsements on your licence
Someone should invent a tired test, maybe test the electrons firing in your brain to see how switched on you are as driving tired is a million times worse than driving after doing a line of charles.
Not that I would know, coke is such a peasants drug.
Haha well said Farnboroughboy I like 
I think you’ll find that drugs can stay in your blood or 28 days +/-
Can those that ‘used to smoke’ weed (guessing quite regular) give it up (so to speak) completely and then just go back to ‘having one last blast’ and then go back to ‘give it up’? Are you a tad concerned that your gaffer may offer you a drug test on your return, find you have been smoking something herbal and decide that your services are no longer required? If you were that bothered about it, you wouldn’t entertain the idea of ‘having a smoke’. It’s easy to spot these druggies…there normally the ones that can’t stand still for toffee…constantly shuffling on the spot. And then you may end up with Alzheimer’s or Dimentia…my wife works with people who suffer from these horrible disorders and you would be surprised how many have these illnesses that are under 40 and smoke/used to smoke weed. I’d love to see a gaffer stood at the door of a big company with a drink/drugs testing kit on a Monday morning…bet half of 'em would ■■■■ themselves!
Actrosman I see your point and yes it is a concern coming back to a drug test this is why I havnt gone there yet but first of all I wouldnt tell anyone at work thats where I was going I would just say im off to spain for the week and as for being a smoker and giving up and having ‘one last blast’ yes you can if your the right sort of person I was never a regular smoker I could always take it or leave it so I believe it depends on the person
A mate of mine eh, mmm, if you didnt use why would you be so bothered if they get caught i think not sven, hope you do get tested as you will obviously pass wont youuuuu
FarnboroughBoy11:
Someone should invent a tired test, maybe test the electrons firing in your brain to see how switched on you are as driving tired is a million times worse than driving after doing a line of charles.
Not that I would know, coke is such a peasants drug.
Yeh. We could have a “Wired & Fired” test…
Test the blood for the presence of lousy coffee out of RDC vending machines, ■■■■■ Juice (no, I’m not taking the ■■■■ - new ‘energy drink’) and of course Red Bull.
Seriously though, I have doubts over if it’s appropriate to use things like ProPlus when driving?
I agree with the idea that driving tired is a serious evil. I bang on about working more than 48 hour weeks all the time don’t I? 
I have been a regular cannabis smoker for sometime. Stopped smoking a month or so before I started applying for jobs, as no point being offered something then failing a drugs test. While I disagree strongly with random drug testing, its a fact of life now, so you just have to go along with it or restrict your choices. Cannabis is non addictive unless seriously abused, so I had no trouble giving up as its nothing like tobacco. The trouble with weed is that it stays in your system for weeks, as opposed to other drugs, so even if you had a spliff at the weekend and it no longer had any effect on you, you would still fail the test. I have no trouble being tested to see if I am fit for work, but the drugs tests we have now don’t prove that, and its a massive invasion of privacy into your private life.
My view is, weed, or any other drug for that matter is no different to alcohol or tobacco, all are mind or mood altering substances. I consider alcohol much more dangerous than weed. Imagine how pleasent our city centres would be on a Saturday night, if everyone was sat in a pub getting high rather than getting as drunk as possible as fast as possible.
Just to add, I have NEVER driven while stoned, or worked while stoned, just as I would never drink and drive. As has been pointed out already, tiredness is probably a much more serious problem than drug abuse, as I found out to my cost. Just wait till some bright spark works out that morbid obesity is a risk to road users due to heart attacks, then you’ll be facing a bacon butty test every morning 
samstone90:
Owe ok thanks for the replies I thought It would have been more serious than that I suppose this is why a lot of them ent that bothered if they get caught they’ll just look for another job
Good luck getting one with a reference from a previous employer which says you were sacked for a positive drugs test at work.
samstone90:
Actrosman I see your point and yes it is a concern coming back to a drug test this is why I havnt gone there yet but first of all I wouldnt tell anyone at work thats where I was going I would just say im off to spain for the week and as for being a smoker and giving up and having ‘one last blast’ yes you can if your the right sort of person I was never a regular smoker I could always take it or leave it so I believe it depends on the person
You do know it is actually possible to go to Amsterdam and not smoke drugs there?
If you load in the oil\gas and fuel refineries in the Lillebonne and Le Havre area they park you up for 8 hours if you fail the drink breath test that the office girls make you do and they do not Icall the Genfarmarie.
rpmmatt: I’d delete that post if I was you.
I’m parked up for the night and just wondering if I could get sacked for posting while under the affluence of incohol??