FMCSA Removes 287 Drivers in Drug and Alcohol Investigation

A federal investigation into drug and alcohol safety records resulted in 287 commercial truck and bus drivers being removed from the roads, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said.

A two-week sweep in which about 200 federal investigators combed through drug and alcohol records found that the drivers did not adhere to federal drug testing standards or had switched employers in an attempt to evade enforcement.

“Removing these dangerous drivers from the roads helps save lives and sends a strong signal that we will not tolerate negligent commercial drivers and companies that violate federal alcohol and drug safety standards,” FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro said in a statement Monday.

Those removed included drivers of buses, school buses, hazardous material transporters and general freight long-haul trucking companies, the agency said, without breaking out numbers among categories.

The 128 carriers that investigators caught also face sanctions for actions such as using drivers who had tested positive for drugs or alcohol or for failing to test drivers.

The drivers caught in the sweep, which ran from late April to mid-May, could face fines or being barred from commercial driving, FMCSA said.