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have no information. It’s going to have Registering in the Clearinghouse, “The other thing to consider is
to come from somewhere, or rather, for drivers, is not a submission to how, once he registers, then it makes
someone. drug testing. They already submit to him more employable. Because all you
Though multiple parties will have that if they are commercially driving. guys are going to change your hiring
access to the Clearinghouse, only Registering means having the oppor- practices, right? One of your first ques-
FMCSA and carriers will get complete tunity to consent to sharing the test tions is going to be, ‘Are you registered
access to information. State driver results. If drivers are not looking for with the Clearinghouse? Because I can't
licensing agencies and law enforce- another job, where they will need to hire you if you're not.’ So if all your
ment will be able to see if a driver is consent to a pre-employment query of drivers are registered, what does that do
eligible to drive, but no other with the pool? So I think car-
details. Medical review offi- riers are going to make a lot
cers (MROs) will be able to of different decisions in this
submit drug test results, and space, and that's on you guys.”
substance abuse professionals If one of a carrier’s unreg-
(SAPs) will be able to submit istered drivers tests positive,
return-to-duty assessments his results can still be reported
and eligibility for return-to- to the Clearinghouse with-
duty testing. MROs and SAPs out registering. But within 24
can both submit and verify, hours carriers will be required
but cannot view, information to attempt to pull a full query
in the database. Drivers will of that driver. Full queries
just have access to their own require consent through the
records and be able to verify Clearinghouse. If the driver
accuracy. isn’t registered, a letter will be
All carriers with driv- typed, printed, put in an enve-
ers operating in the U.S. can lope, sent to the address on his
start registering for the clear- CDL. It’s a very slow process for
inghouse today by visiting everyone involved.
clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/ An attendee asked Garney,
Register. “What if a driver doesn’t have
“I consider it a push and a an email address?”
pull system,” he said. “Motor The registration process
carriers both have to pull includes multistep verification,
information out, that's what and the second step is for the
most people are pretty familiar registrant to verify through
with, but we have also got to email. If there is no email,
put most of the information in the second step becomes ana-
there as well.” logue with the letter, envelope,
stamp, mail truck, etc.
DRIVER REQUIREMENTS their past tests and never incur a drug For new drivers, Garney suggested
Drivers have a part to play as well. and alcohol violation, then they may that carriers require potential hires to
The Clearinghouse only applies to not even need to register. register before going too far down the
commercial driver license (CDL) hold- “If you've got an A+ driver, he might recruiting process to ensure a quicker
ers. Carriers may randomly test com- not ever need to register if you feel pretty process.
mercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers in good about that. Now if he pops positive,
their companies who operate non-CDL there's going to be a bit of a rigmarole to THE PUSH
equipment, but carriers will not share get him registered,” Garney said. Garney refers to actions in the
that information in the Clearinghouse. Carriers can choose to have policies Clearinghouse as the push and pull. It’s
The loophole some drivers found requiring all of their currently employed pushing information in to share. It’s
was that they never had to tell a new drivers to register so that if there’s a pulling information out to verify that
employer that they failed a previous violation, the process for reporting and your drivers are eligible to drive.
drug test. In the Clearinghouse, driv- reviewing information is easier, but He believes the push is the part
ers will have to consent to your queries there’s a drawback to this, according to that will take some carriers by surprise
about their testing history. Garney. 

ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 5 2019 17