171K drivers face looming commercial license downgrades in November
Thousands of truck drivers risk losing their commercial driving privileges in a matter of months due to violations recorded in a federal drug and alcohol database.
According to a report recently released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a total of 171,361 CDL and CLP holders are listed in “Prohibited” status in the agency’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse as of June 1, 2024.
If those CDL holders fail to complete the Return-to-Duty process, they will risk license downgrades on November 18, 2024, when all State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) will be required to remove commercial driving privileges from the driver’s license of “Prohibited” individuals. The license downgrades will remain in place until the Return-to-Duty process is completed.
Of those in “Prohibited” status, 130,289 have not yet begun the Return-to-Duty process that could save their commercial driving privileges as of June 1.
The license downgrades going into effect November 18 were established in a second Final Rule (Clearinghouse-II) issued by the FMCSA in October 2021. The purpose of the Clearinghouse-II rule is to further support and strengthen the first Clearinghouse final rule, which declares that drivers with a “prohibited” Clearinghouse status are prohibited from operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) on public roads.
The FMCSA says that the Clearinghouse-II rule “will help keep unsafe drivers off the road by increasing compliance with the CMV driving prohibition.”
The FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse provides law enforcement and employers with real-time information on CDL and CLP holder drug and alcohol program violations.