{"id":363898,"date":"2021-11-07T23:53:15","date_gmt":"2021-11-07T20:53:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/supply-chain-stalled-by-72000-truckers-who-failed-drug-tests\/"},"modified":"2021-11-07T23:53:15","modified_gmt":"2021-11-07T20:53:15","slug":"supply-chain-stalled-by-72000-truckers-who-failed-drug-tests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/supply-chain-stalled-by-72000-truckers-who-failed-drug-tests\/","title":{"rendered":"#Supply chain stalled by 72,000 truckers who failed drug tests"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;<strong>#Supply chain stalled by 72,000 truckers who failed drug tests<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>A dire truck-driver shortage that\u2019s wreaking havoc on the US economy is getting worse \u2014 and it\u2019s being fueled partly by tough federal drug-testing restrictions that were imposed nationwide last year, industry officials told The Post.  <\/p>\n<p>More than 72,000 truck drivers have been taken off US roads since January 2020 because they have failed drug tests that are now required by the Drug &amp; Alcohol Clearinghouse, a 22-month-old registry established to increase safety on US highways, according to government data.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a big number, considering that the American Trucking Association \u2014 which also blames the pandemic and a lack of younger drivers, among other factors \u2014 recently pegged the industry\u2019s overall driver shortfall at 80,000, up from 60,800 in 2018 and 50,700 in 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a staggering number of drivers we have lost\u201d because of the new drug-testing rules, Jeremy Reymer, chief executive of industry recruiter DriverReach, told The Post. <\/p>\n<p>Employers see the Clearinghouse, which is enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, as positive and necessary but also a source of concern. It\u2019s a list that employers are required to consult before hiring a driver to avoid putting dangerous drivers on the highway. They are also required to contribute data to the list when their employees fail a random drug test.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-6.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Medical professional handing a patient a specimen jar\" class=\"wp-image-20058655\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-6.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-6.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-6.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>The overwhelming number of truckers who failed their Drug &amp; Alcohol Clearinghouse tests did so because of marijuana.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images\/iStockphoto<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Before the Clearinghouse, \u201cthere were situations when drivers were testing positive and were job-hopping,\u201d said Steve Keppler, co-director of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting. \u201cThey wouldn\u2019t report their previous employer, so a carrier wouldn\u2019t pick up on the positive test. The Clearinghouse has stopped that from h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ening.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, however, the resulting driver shortages have further crippled the nation\u2019s supply chains. The registry\u2019s tough, new rules went into effect just three months before COVID-19 began to pummel logistics companies across the US, and have helped fuel higher prices for everything from toys to lumber to groceries.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201c<\/strong>We do have a certain number of candidates that we\u2019d like to hire but they can\u2019t pass our drug tests,\u201d Chef\u2019s Warehouse CEO Chris Pappas told The Post. His Bronx-based company, which distributes food to high-end restaurants across the country, is still short about 1,000 drivers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-5.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Tractor trailers lined up in a lot\" class=\"wp-image-20058680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-5.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-5.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-5.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>A drop in the number of young people interested in pursuing trucking careers has added to the shortage.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The number of job applicants Pappas has been forced to turn away because of a drug violation \u201cis a big enough number that it hurts,\u201d he said, declining to be more specific.<\/p>\n<p>Also concerning is the number of drivers who don\u2019t try to rehabilitate their records. Drivers who land on the registry can get off the list if they complete a \u201creturn to duty\u201d program, but so far the vast majority \u2014 or 54,495 violators \u2014 have not started the program \u2014 and likely will not, experts say.<\/p>\n<p>Some executives also are fretting over the disconnect between federal and state laws regarding marijuana, which is legal in 18 states for recreational use but considered an illegal substance by the US government.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-4.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"A drug and alcohol permission form\" class=\"wp-image-20058682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-4.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-4.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-4.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Many drivers suspended because of drug tests are in no hurry to start the process needed to get behind the wheel again.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images\/iStockphoto<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The biggest number of Clearinghouse violations by far \u2014 56 percent \u2014 are for marijuana use, according to federal data. (Amphetamine and methamphetamine violations account for 18 percent, while cocaine and various opioids account for 15 percent and 4 percent respectively.) Some argue that because marijuana can stay in the body for up to 30 days, testing does not accurately reflect whether a person is driving while under the influence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere needs to be the ability to test for real-time impairment and not just recent or long-term past use of marijuana,\u201d Scott Duvall, director of safety and compliance for TransForce Group, which runs truck-driving schools and rents out drivers, said in an email.<\/p>\n<p>Another employer who asked not to be identified estimates that he rejects up to 15 percent of his truck driver job applicants because of drug violations. What\u2019s more, the number of positive drug tests rose 13 percent in August compared with a year ago, according to an analysis of the government data by <em>Transport Topics.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-1-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Three semi trucks at a service station\" class=\"wp-image-20058699\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-1-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-1-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-1-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Demand is so high that in some cases drivers can snag signing bonuses of up to $15,000.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">George Frey\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThere is now a large percentage of the workforce that is no longer eligible to be a driver,\u201d this source said.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is growing more urgent by the day, officials say. At the current rate, the ATA estimates that nearly one million new drivers will be needed over the next decade \u2014 or 110,000 per year \u2014  to overcome turnover rates and to meet freight demands. Yet the trucking industry loses more drivers to retirement or turnover each year than it gains, said Bob Costello, chief economist for the ATA.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a warning to the entire supply chain that if nothing changes, one day consumers could go to the grocery store and instead of seeing seven varieties of apples there are only three because a shipment didn\u2019t make it in,\u201d Costello said.<\/p>\n<p>Despite high pay \u2014 drivers make $70,000 to six figures and snag sign-on bonuses of up to $15,000 \u2014\u00a0 many more have opted to quit long-haul jobs that can keep them on the road for weeks at a time.\u00a0Those long-haul fleets are bleeding workers to e-commerce van delivery services like Amazon, which is \u201cbooming [and] hurting recruitment\u201d as it offers more local jobs, according to Costello.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"A highway packed with big trucks\" class=\"wp-image-20058704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>The industry needs a test that pinpoints real-time marijuana usage, one industry source told The Post.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe are getting people who are in their 30s and choosing driving as their second or third career choice,\u201d added Lindsey Trent, a manager at Ryder Systems, who co-founded NextGen Trucking, which partners with high schools and launched in July. \u201cThere are a lot of kids who are not going to college and we need to identify them and introduce them to our industry.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Chris Rose drove a truck across the country for 18 months, but said it was an \u201cemotionally hard\u201d job and he quit after the birth of his son.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s 11 hours a day of driving and it\u2019s repetitive,\u201d the 29-year-old Arkansas native told The Post, adding that the driver\u2019s cab \u201cis a small space and it leads to homesickness and a little bit of depression.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/sized-amazon-van.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"An Amazon delivery van\" class=\"wp-image-20061682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/sized-amazon-van.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/sized-amazon-van.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/sized-amazon-van.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Many drivers are opting for making deliveries in Amazon vans \u2014 instead of doing long-haul trucking.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Christopher Sadowski<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Now, Rose drives across his home state transporting simulators to high schools where he promotes truck driving as a career \u2014 using video <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> \u2014 on behalf of the State Chamber of Commerce. His job is to tout the high pay in long hauling and encourage young adults to get on the road. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI tell kids you need to do that while you\u2019re young before you establish yourself and to put money in the bank for a nest egg,\u201d Rose said.\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/11\/07\/supply-chain-stalled-by-72000-truckers-who-failed-drug-tests\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Supply chain stalled by 72,000 truckers who failed drug tests&#8221; A dire truck-driver shortage that\u2019s wreaking havoc on the US economy is getting worse \u2014 and it\u2019s being fueled partly by tough federal drug-testing restrictions that were imposed nationwide last year, industry officials told The Post. More than 72,000 truck drivers have been taken off&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":363899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/truck-driver-shortage-5-1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[118596,71660,6864,71045],"class_list":["post-363898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-11-7-21","tag-drug-busts","tag-drugs","tag-truckers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=363898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363898\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/363899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=363898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=363898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=363898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}