Drug Impaired Driving in the CMV Industry: A Growing Threat Across North America

Drug-impaired driving is an escalating concern in the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) industry, posing significant risks to public safety. While alcohol impairment remains an issue, there are a growing number of CMV crashes involving drivers impaired by drugs or drugs in combination with alcohol. While data is often difficult to obtain (much like passenger vehicle drugged-driving crash data), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Large Truck Crash Causation Study concluded that 87% of truck crashes are caused by driver-related factors, citing prescription drug use, over-the-counter drug use, illegal drug use and alcohol as four of the top 20 factors for large truck crashes.

Let’s examine the latest statistics on drug-impaired incidents, the impacts on law enforcement’s efforts and steps industry representatives can take to promote safety. We’ll also explore relevant news stories, public awareness strategies and how officers are working to address this dangerous trend through training and awareness.

The Scope of Drug-Impaired Driving

In a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) survey, 85% of all truck drivers surveyed reported that methamphetamines were readily available at truck stops. Another NTSB study revealed that approximately 35% of all truck drivers who die in truck crashes test positive for some kind of illegal drug. Of the truck drivers who are involved in crashes caused by fatigue, 33% tested positive for some kind of drug. This study concluded that in fatal-to-the-driver truck crashes, drug use by truck drivers is the second-highest contributing factor, with fatigue being the first.

A systematic review, titled “Psychoactive Substance Use by Truck Drivers,” revealed that the most common psychoactive substances for truck drivers were alcohol, amphetamines, cannabis and cocaine. In 12 studies that evaluated factors associated with the intake of psychoactive substances, the following stood out: younger age, higher income, longer trips, alcohol consumption, driving in the night shift, traveling interstate routes, fewer hours of rest, driver inexperience, connection with small- and medium-sized companies, productivity-based earnings, and prior involvement in crashes. The use of these substances was mainly associated with indicators of poor working conditions.

In this same study, researchers asked CMV drivers to respond to a survey about their drug use: Roughly half of the total respondents admitted to drinking alcohol while driving, and 30% admitted to using amphetamines. This study relied only on a driver’s admission of drug use. There are still relatively few scientific reports on the subject.

While data is limited on drug-impaired CMV driving, specifically, there is a plethora of data on drug-impaired driving, generally. Positive drug tests were found more often than alcohol among fatally injured drivers, according to the “Drug-Impaired Driving Report” released in 2017 by the Governors Highway Safety Association and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.

Recent National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) studies have also found significant increases in drivers using cannabis or other drugs, leading to more drug-involved crashes. A review of fourth quarter 2020 data revealed that 56% of drivers involved in serious injury and fatal crashes tested positive for at least one drug. To compare, in 2015, 21% of all fatal crashes in the U.S. involved at least one driver who tested positive for drugs after the incident; in 2005, the rate was 12%.

Roadside Testing and Underreporting

Roadside drug and alcohol testing – and the technologies that make it possible –are current hot-button issues. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enforces a zero-tolerance policy for cannabis use or possession by commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders, regardless of state law. This creates confusion for drivers who may legally use cannabis off-duty but still face federal penalties if they test positive.

Additionally, current drug tests (i.e., urine and hair) detect past drug use, not necessarily current drug use. This is problematic roadside and at weigh/inspection stations, where officers need to assess real-time driver impairment to make enforcement decisions. Unlike alcohol tests (which correlate with impairment), no universally accepted roadside device has been determined to conclusively correlate active impairment from drugs like cannabis or cocaine. Oral fluid (i.e., saliva) tests for drug detection were approved by the U.S. DOT in 2023 but remain controversial; reliability, accuracy and contamination risks are debated, and motor carriers and law enforcement jurisdictions worry about false positives and/or legal challenges in court.

Finally, there is cross-border confusion for roadside testing. Canada uses saliva roadside screening for THC but requires lab confirmation before legal action. Mexico conducts random roadside drug tests, but the standards differ from U.S. DOT standards.

Roadside drug testing remains contentious because science, law, technology and policy are not yet aligned, putting CMV enforcement officers, drivers and motor carriers in an operationally difficult situation.

Because of this, many experts agree that underreporting is one of the most significant issues facing the industry. “It is widely believed drugged driving is underreported in all crash types,” explained Chris Turner, who leads CVSA’s judicial outreach. “One of the many problems in quantifying the number of alcoholand drug-related crashes is the frequency of testing. Nationally, most fatal crashes result in impairment testing of the fatal victim. However, many living drivers are not tested in fatal crashes or crashes where a fatality does not occur. Because not all fatality victims or other drivers are routinely tested, we don’t have an accurate picture of the number of drug- and alcohol-impaired drivers.”

More information is soon to come, however. Turner added, “There is a current study with the Transportation Review Board and the National Academy of Sciences on the misreporting, under/overreporting of impaired driving – where drugs are the biggest issue of misreporting. The final report is being vetted now and will come out in a few months.”

Drugs and Their Effects

Examples of drugs that some CMV drivers may take before and during shifts include:

• Prescription medications: Prescription medicines are the largest category of drugs used among truckers, and data suggests this will continue to increase. Some CMV drivers obtain prescription drugs illegally, such as taking a relative’s Vicodin to treat back pain. Even when prescription medications are used legally and correctly, they can greatly affect a driver’s skills, alertness and reaction time.

• Alcohol: Although drinking and driving is forbidden by law, some CMV drivers drink alcohol to cure boredom or cope with pain while driving. Alcohol is known to dull the senses, impair motor function and cause fatigue.

• Cannabis: Research suggests that up to 20% of CMV drivers use cannabis regularly, and the figure may be even higher due to their reluctance to report illegal actions, even anonymously. Cannabis can impair the ability to drive because it may slow coordination, judgment and reaction times.

• Stimulants: CMV drivers may use cocaine or methamphetamines/amphetamines to stay awake behind the wheel and log more miles. While these stimulants may increase heart rate and alertness, they can also cause hallucinations, lowered inhibitions and risk-taking behaviors, in addition to cardiac risks.

• Unknown substances: Since most studies rely only on what drivers admit to taking, other illegal substances, such as LSD or heroin, are often underreported.

While each substance may have different effects on an individual, key effects of impairment on CMV drivers include reduced reaction time, impaired judgment, loss of coordination, fatigue and drowsiness, and decreased focus. According to NHTSA, using two or more drugs at the same time, including alcohol, can amplify the impairing effects of each drug a person has consumed.

CVSA Roadside Inspection Specialist Jeremy Disbrow shared a story from his time in enforcement: “There was a driver in Tucson, Arizona, who we received numerous 911 calls about because he was all over the road. When I found him, he was driving on the dirt shoulder of I-10 and then weaving across multiple lanes of traffic at highway speeds. It took him forever to pull over, and when he stopped, he blocked the left lane of the interstate. The driver admitted to taking his prescribed hydrocodone and Ambien approximately an hour prior. He had no idea there was a problem because they were prescribed to him. The driver was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of drugs. Drugged driving is a hazard to every motorist – but this case was also unfortunate for the driver because he believed he was not breaking the law since his doctor prescribed it.”

FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a secure online database that gives employers, federal agencies, state driver’s licensing agencies (SDLA) and state law enforcement personnel real-time information about CDL driver drug and alcohol program violations. Additionally, Canadian and Mexican motor carriers who operate in the U.S. are subject to the Clearinghouse.

In the U.S., Clearinghouse data from the March report indicates that since its inception, 326,795 violations have been reported, with 319,159 attributed to drug use and 7,636 attributed to alcohol impairment.

From 2020 through 2024, 295,818 drug tests have come back positive, with cannabis accounting for 58.8%, cocaine at 16.2% and methamphetamine at 8.4%. 2022 and 2023 have the highest number of positive drug tests across the board. However, while most positive tests across substances seem to decline somewhat significantly in 2023 and 2024, levels of cocaine use remain statistically similar. Trends show that cocaine and other stimulants may continue to be a problem for years to come.

Training and Awareness

Addressing drug-impaired driving requires a multifaceted approach involving training and public awareness. In addition to academy and ongoing training provided by jurisdictions, CVSA offers information on aspects of drugimpaired driving as a part of North American Standard Inspection Parts A (driver) and B (vehicle) and Post-Crash Inspection courses. Furthermore, the on-demand Interdiction Course, available on CVSA Learning, contains information about drug use and smuggling. Information and guidance on verifying a driver’s status based on data from the Clearinghouse can be found in CVSA Inspection Bulletin 2020-02 – Roadside Examination of Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Status.

In addition to the DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) Basic Course all law enforcement officers receive, two additional modules teach officers the skills necessary to detect drug-impaired drivers: the Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) Program and the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Program. ARIDE is a 12-hour program that bridges the gap between the SFST Course and the DRE Program, which is a highly specific, rigorous program that requires 72 hours of classroom work, plus an estimated 40 to 60 field certification hours. Turner added, “The DRE Program is outstanding. I would recommend it to anyone who makes impaireddriving detection a career path.”

Public awareness campaigns aim to educate CMV drivers about the dangers and legal consequences of drug-impaired driving. CVSA's International Roadcheck is a prime example, where in 2024, more than 48,000 inspections were conducted. The driver focus area for 2024 was on alcohol and controlled-substance prevention. Inspectors issued 78 drug and 26 alcohol possession/use out-of-service violations throughout North America during last year’s International Roadcheck. In the

U.S., inspectors identified 63 drivers who were placed out of service for operating vehicles even though they were listed in FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.

Jurisdictions are encouraged to run their own public awareness campaigns and engage in interagency collaboration to reach those in their area. In addition to outreach to and/or in collaboration with drivers/motor carriers, consider reaching out to local schools to educate children and teens on the dangers of drug- and alcohol-impaired driving.

If your agency or business has done outreach regarding drug- and alcohol-impaired driving, please consider submitting an article for consideration for future publication in this magazine. We work best when we share ideas with each other.

What Motor Carriers and Industry Leaders Need to Know

As drug-impaired driving incidents involving CMV operators rise across North America, the role of motor carriers and industry stakeholders has become increasingly vital in combating this public safety concern.

While enforcement officers are often the most visible part of the response, motor carriers and industry representatives play a central role in mitigating risks, enforcing compliance and supporting prevention strategies, serving as that critical first line of defense.

Mandatory Use of the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

Since its launch in January 2020, the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse has become a cornerstone of employer compliance in the U.S. The Clearinghouse maintains records of CDL drivers who have failed drug or alcohol tests, refused testing, or have not completed the required return-to-duty process.

Motor carriers are legally required to:

• Query the Clearinghouse for all new drivers before hiring.

• Conduct annual queries on all current drivers.

• Report certain violations, including test refusals and actual knowledge of use.

Failure to do so can result in civil penalties and increased liability. Under Title 49 Code of

Federal Regulations Part 382, motor carriers must annually conduct random drug testing on at least 50% of their CDL drivers and random alcohol testing on 10%. These rates were reaffirmed for 2024 based on data showing that the industry continues to exceed the 1% positive test rate that would otherwise trigger reductions.

Experts warn that Clearinghouse checks alone are not sufficient. Motor carriers must go beyond the box-checking mindset. Substance use trends are evolving rapidly, and testing may lag real-time behavior.

Additionally, as of Nov. 18, 2024, the Clearinghouse II final rule requires the following:

• SDLAs must query the Clearinghouse before issuing, renewing, upgrading or transferring CDLs and issuing, renewing and upgrading commercial learner’s permits.

• SDLAs must review a driver’s information when notified by FMCSA of a driver’s Clearinghouse status change.

• SDLAs are required to remove the commercial driving privileges of drivers in a “prohibited” status in the Clearinghouse, resulting in a downgrade of the CDL until the driver completes the return-to-duty process.

Training and Culture Matter

• Routine Supervisor Training: Required by § 382.603, supervisors must be trained to recognize signs of drug and alcohol impairment.

• Internal Notification Protocols: Some fleets maintain 24/7 reporting hotlines where dispatchers or coworkers can raise concerns about possible impairment.

• Driver Support Programs: Some fleets provide confidential access to employee assistance programs that help drivers with substance use concerns return to work safely.

By focusing on early intervention, safety becomes a priority – and an essential company value.

Drug-Impaired CMV Crashes

These real-world incidents underscore the severe consequences of drug-impaired driving in the CMV industry.

• This March, in Austin, Texas, a semitruck driver caused a catastrophic 17-car pileup. The CMV driver was found to be under the influence of central nervous system depressants at the time of the crash, which killed five people, including two children, and injured 11 more. Witnesses reported that the driver appeared drowsy, exhibited slow movements and appeared unusually calm for the circumstances, indicative of impairment. He was charged with multiple counts of intoxication, manslaughter and assault.

• In Illinois, in 2024, an impaired dump-truck driver drove erratically for several miles before rear-ending a vehicle. The dump truck then crossed the center median, hitting a van and causing other vehicles to be struck in a multiple-vehicle crash. In a post-crash interview and field sobriety test, the driver smiled, laughed and stated he had snorted heroin. The driver had been involved in a hit-and-run earlier in the day, and he also had prior drug, alcohol and driving offenses. Two people died, one person was paralyzed and several others suffered life-altering injuries.

• In 2016, Ofc. Vincent Smith, an 18-year veteran California Highway Patrol officer, was hit by a truck while clearing the roadway of a two-car passenger vehicle crash near Sacramento, California. Officers were attempting to move the vehicles onto the highway shoulder when Ofc. Smith was hit by the tractor-trailer, slamming him into a concrete bridge rail and causing life-threatening injuries. As a part of the investigation, a drug recognition expert conducted an evaluation, resulting in the opinion that the driver was impaired by a central nervous system stimulant. The driver was charged with possession of a controlled substance and admitted to investigators that he had dozed off prior to the crash. After spending several weeks in the hospital, Ofc. Smith was released to continue his recovery at home.

• In 2016, on I-75 near Chattanooga, Tennessee, a tractor-trailer collided with multiple vehicles in a construction zone. The chain-reaction crash caused the deaths of six people, including two children. The initial investigation revealed that the CMV driver did not brake prior to the collision, and a drug evaluation discovered that the driver was impaired by Xanax and methamphetamine. In 2018, the driver was convicted on six counts of vehicular homicide and driving under the influence of drugs, resulting in an 83-year prison sentence.

Know Your Testing Options

While this article does not endorse specific testing methodologies, motor carriers should stay informed about evolving drug testing tools, including saliva/oral fluid testing and expanded panel tests. Understanding what each test can and cannot detect – and within what time window – is essential for making informed policy decisions.

Cross-Border Considerations

Canadian and Mexican motor carriers who operate in the U.S. are subject to the FMCSA Clearinghouse.

Canadian employers of commercial drivers must comply with federal regulations under Transport Canada, including mandatory drug and alcohol testing for cross-border drivers. As of 2022, Canadian federal law allows for salivabased roadside screening for THC. However, a positive roadside test triggers further lab analysis to determine impairment levels under the criminal code.

Despite state-level legalization of cannabis, FMCSA maintains a zero-tolerance policy for cannabis use and possession among CDL holders. This includes off-duty use in legal states. Any positive test for THC results in immediate removal from safety-sensitive functions.

In Mexico, commercial drivers are subject to national transport laws enforced by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation. While Mexico does not have a Clearinghouse equivalent, police and federal authorities conduct random checkpoints, and impairment due to drug or alcohol use can lead to the suspension of commercial driving privileges.

Looking Ahead

Drug-impaired driving in the CMV industry poses a significant threat to public safety across North America. Through training and advanced enforcement efforts, the law enforcement community and the motor carrier industry are working diligently to mitigate this risk. Continued vigilance, education and cooperation remain essential in the ongoing battle against drug-impaired driving among CMV drivers.