FMCSA Denies Application For Exemption From Certain Federal Drug and Alcohol Testing Requirements

On January 13, 2004, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) denied an application from Mayflower Transit LLC and United Van Lines LLC seeking exemptions from parts of the federal drug and alcohol testing requirements. Both companies had requested that they be allowed to combine non-DOT and DOT covered employees into one pool. This request came after an audit determined that non-DOT drivers were in the DOT pool. In the FMCSA's decision, they specifically referred to the reasons why DATIA felt the exemption would have negative effects on the FMCSA drug and alchol tetsing program. Of the ten comments received by the FMCSA, eight were in opposition to the exemption, one was in favor, and one stated no opinion either way. In its reasons for the exemption, the FMCSA stated that "the agency agrees with certain commenters that the administrative burden is not overwhelming and the management of two pools within the same company is a relatively common task managed easily either within the same company, or by a TPA's and MRO's". View the complete announcement in HTML. View DATIA's earlier comments opposing the exemption.