USDOT proposes adding fentanyl to existing truck driver drug testing program

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is considering adding more illegal substances to the agency’s drug testing panels for safety-sensitive transportation industry employees, including truck drivers.

In a Proposed Rule published in the Federal Register on September 2, USDOT announced a proposal to amend its drug testing program regulations to add the synthetic opioid fentanyl and norfentanyl (a metabolite of fentanyl) to drug testing panels.

USDOT pointed to fentanyl use trends over the past few years as a reason for adding the drugs to the testing panel, including a statistic blaming 150 U.S. deaths per day on overdoses related to synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl.

“Adding fentanyl and norfentanyl is also in the interest of transportation safety, given compelling information regarding the number of overdose deaths in the United States involving fentanyl,” USDOT said.

Currently, USDOT regulations (49 CFR Part 40 Subpart F) require safety-sensitive transportation workers to undergo laboratory testing for the following five classes of drugs:

• Marijuana
• Cocaine
• Opiates – opium and codeine derivatives
• Amphetamines and methamphetamines
• Phencyclidine – PCP

The move to add fentanyl and norfentanyl would also help to align USDOT’s drug-testing program regulation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs (Mandatory Guidelines), which USDOT must follow for the minimum list of drugs for which USDOT requires testing, and the comprehensive standards for laboratory drug testing per the Omnibus Employee Testing Act of 1991, the agency said.

USDOT will accept public comment on the proposed rule now through October 17, 2025.

You can follow this link to view the proposed rule and leave your comment online.