House bill pushes drug testing truckers with hair sample

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Updated Dec 10, 2012

Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) introduced into the U.S. House this week a bill that would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to implement a pilot program to test the feasibility of using hair samples instead of urine samples to test commercial drivers of illegal drug use. 

As reported in August, major trucking companies and the American Trucking Association have been advocating for the option to use hair instead of urine for some time, and some carriers have implemented programs themselves in recent years. 

ATA released a statement supporting Ribble’s bill. “Hair testing, which research and experience shows can be much more effective than current, conventional sampling and testing methods, is the next logical step in this process and we thank Congressman Ribble for introducing this important legislation,” says ATA President Bill Graves. 

In CCJ sister site Overdrive‘s report from August, ATA said that its members who had used hair testing saw positive drug tests in 2.4 to 10.4 percent more drivers than when using only urine analysis.