• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

CDL drug testing pools

Randy88

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
2,149
Location
iowa
I'm wondering if anyone here with a cdl drivers license belongs to one of the drug testing pools or a [pee in a can club] as its referred to around here? I was also wondering for those that do how often in a year is your name drawn to go in for testing? There are four quarters to a year and your supposed to have four chances to have your name drawn, and depending on how many are in your pool you have like less than a 5% chance to be drawn at any quarter per year. Seeing how thats not very much of a chance I was wondering if anyone else gets drawn all the time to go in for testing, I have historically been drawn at least 3 out of 4 times per year and a few years been drawn all four times.
 

Jumbo

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
689
Location
Black Diamond WA
Occupation
retired
I'm wondering if anyone here with a cdl drivers license belongs to one of the drug testing pools or a [pee in a can club] as its referred to around here? I was also wondering for those that do how often in a year is your name drawn to go in for testing? There are four quarters to a year and your supposed to have four chances to have your name drawn, and depending on how many are in your pool you have like less than a 5% chance to be drawn at any quarter per year. Seeing how thats not very much of a chance I was wondering if anyone else gets drawn all the time to go in for testing, I have historically been drawn at least 3 out of 4 times per year and a few years been drawn all four times.

We have 2500 people, in our pool, around 50% get tested twice a year, 25% once a year and the other 25% get a skip. If you "pass" the test you get $50.00 from the employer group. I can ask for a test three times a year which I do, $150.00 in my pocket every year. More and more people are doing the same thing I do, $150.00 is a nice night out with the wife.:D
 
Last edited:

grandkobelco

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
232
Location
lazy boy in a barn
Occupation
chainsaw, small engine mechanic
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! YOU GET PAID TO PASS? I got to bring a copy of this post to my boss. hee hee hee.
 

Randy88

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
2,149
Location
iowa
What percent of the group do they test every quarter then if half get tested every year, how many are pulled and how many ask to be sampled that are not originally pulled to be tested? I'm told less than 5 percent are pulled every quarter but nobody will give me the same answer twice so I don't know. Its costing me 200 bucks a shot to have the sampling done now plus the time it takes to do it, I"m self employed and have to pay for it out of my own pocket.

I just thought I was the unluckiest person alive to be pulled so much with such a small percentage of chance of being pulled every time.

I know of a few who are long haul truck drivers that have belonged to pools for decades and have only ever been pulled a few times and I'm told they are just luckier than me is all because everyone gets the same chance of being pulled every time, I'm finding that hard to believe but I did talk to their employer and they told me the same thing, they have a few employee's who get pulled every time and some that never get pulled and supposedly its just luck of the draw, they also thought it was a weird deal why the same ones get sampled every time.

Thanks for the reply, I'd like to hear how often others get sampled as well.
 

Jumbo

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
689
Location
Black Diamond WA
Occupation
retired
What percent of the group do they test every quarter then if half get tested every year, how many are pulled and how many ask to be sampled that are not originally pulled to be tested? I'm told less than 5 percent are pulled every quarter but nobody will give me the same answer twice so I don't know. Its costing me 200 bucks a shot to have the sampling done now plus the time it takes to do it, I"m self employed and have to pay for it out of my own pocket.


It is a "random" process, if you are in the 50% it may be an August, October draw. I know of several people who have never been tested in the 15 years this program has been in place. Conversely, one year I was tested five times. (A real profitable year.) The gnomes insides some computer somewhere spit out the names somehow. But, the basic plan is a 50-25-25 selection. You are the first person that I have ever met that has to pay for their own test. I must lead a sheltered life.

The employers rammed this down our throat like I said around 15 years ago, to get us to go along with the rape, they offered us the $50. Some employers are starting to complain as they realize we can turn a profit from this plan. We would go along with the removal of the fee as long as we would be paid for our time to take the test. In this area, after work, a test can take 30 to 60 minutes to process from in the door to out the door. My time is not free.
 

oldtanker

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
463
Location
vining mn
Occupation
Ret
When I had a CDL I was in a pool with about 12 other drivers. I was never tested in the 2 years I was there by being drawn, only at the pre-hiring screening. Did know a guy who stayed up all nite studying for his test and still flunked it........just a little humor.......

Rick
 

Randy88

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
2,149
Location
iowa
I just got off the phone with another testing company and they were more helpful to explain it than the one I'm currently with. They claim 50% of the entire pool needs to be tested every year or 12,5% every quarter no matter how many are in the pool and they told me the same sort of story its done by computers and totally random, their sales pitch was it only costs 55 bucks for a drug test and there are no extra administrative fee's, lab fee's, mailing fee's, processing and handling fee's or draw fee's and 26.50 for an alcohol test to breathe into the tube, way cheaper than I'm currently paying so maybe we'll try them, but I can't see why they can't come up with a better system of pulling names, like if you've been pulled once a year your removed until everyone gets pulled in the pool and then toss your name back in again. I again registered my complaint but it did no good.

It seems some are a lot luckier than others, and this is one reason I don't buy lottery tickets, I"d never win anything anyhow, I always lose.

Chevrolet84 now maybe you should buy lotto tickets, at my rate in nine years I'd been pulled 27 or more times and thats a lot of cups to handle let alone tubes to breathe into. The ladies that take the samples for me joke that they have a chair and paperwork with my name on it reserved just for me every quarter because I'm a guaranteed visitor.
 

Greg

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2008
Messages
1,175
Location
Wi
Occupation
Excavating Contractor
I detest being forced to p-- in a bottle when ever they decide they want me to. I am supposed to be innocent until proven guilty according to the constitution. THis cockamamey law makes me guilty until I prove myself innocent. I got lots better things to do that wait for the goof ball with the little bottles and breath testing meter to show up and sample me. Just more fricking government interference in our lives and futher errosion of our rights.
 

Jumbo

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
689
Location
Black Diamond WA
Occupation
retired
I detest being forced to p-- in a bottle when ever they decide they want me to. I am supposed to be innocent until proven guilty according to the constitution. THis cockamamey law makes me guilty until I prove myself innocent. I got lots better things to do that wait for the goof ball with the little bottles and breath testing meter to show up and sample me. Just more fricking government interference in our lives and futher errosion of our rights.


Actually it is not the government, it is those d**n insurance companies:bash
 

2stickbill

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
677
Location
Romayor Texas
Occupation
Sniffin diesel fumes.
I detest being forced to p-- in a bottle when ever they decide they want me to. I am supposed to be innocent until proven guilty according to the constitution. THis cockamamey law makes me guilty until I prove myself innocent. I got lots better things to do that wait for the goof ball with the little bottles and breath testing meter to show up and sample me. Just more fricking government interference in our lives and futher errosion of our rights.

Truck Drivers are guilty any way.You have a wreck where a four wheeler runs a red light and you have to take a drug test.Mandatory if someone dies but most company's have this policy.How many Politicians would pass a drug test.Some Police would fail and a lot of the four wheelers could not pass drug or alcohol test.
One driver I know had to retake because they lost sample.Boss said they were selling samples.Could be true.
I heard of one driver that was told to take the drug test and smoked a joint on the way.Brain Dead.
 

chevota84

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2011
Messages
189
Location
Prineville OR
Truck Drivers are guilty any way.You have a wreck where a four wheeler runs a red light and you have to take a drug test.Mandatory if someone dies but most company's have this policy.How many Politicians would pass a drug test.Some Police would fail and a lot of the four wheelers could not pass drug or alcohol test.
One driver I know had to retake because they lost sample.Boss said they were selling samples.Could be true.
I heard of one driver that was told to take the drug test and smoked a joint on the way.Brain Dead.

Exactly! If you're in a truck you're presumed guilty.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
 

Randy88

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
2,149
Location
iowa
The lady that does the testing told me my clean sample would be worth many dollars to the right person, I told her not to worry I had a whole septic tank at home and anyone could help themselves to all they wanted anytime, everyone in the lab laughed on that one. I took one at a different clinic one time and they told me not only did I have to pay for that one but also the retake, someone in that lab was fired for tampering with my sample, I was later told it was sold and the person selling it got fired. I didn't think anyone in the world would sell let alone buy a bottle of urine.

I'll agree with greg on that statement all the way, I've even told the dot I wouldn't complain one bit if every driver out there no matter who had to do the same thing, that goes for a moped to a little old lady who only drives to church on sunday to all politicians in all offices everywhere, and if they fail they lose their jobs as well, no matter what it might be, and that would eliminate a lot of this BS. I personally never saw any difference between a vehicle that requires a cdl to drive compared to a small compact car to a motorcycle, everyone uses the same roads and obeys the same laws pertaining to the speed limit and being behind the wheel, why not require either nobody or everybody to take the same tests.
 

Greg

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2008
Messages
1,175
Location
Wi
Occupation
Excavating Contractor
Jumbo go ahead and blame the insurance companies if you want. Just remember they did not write the legislation, the politicans did. Granted the politicans may have had some help along the way from the insurance companies as in "we think this would improve safety and it should be put into law." Oh by the way, "Here is a contribution to your next election campaign fund." Don't forget to include police, fire, parimedics and the like in the testing too. Seems to me some of these are exempt. Don't you think teachers in the schools system would be goo idea too?
 

Jumbo

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
689
Location
Black Diamond WA
Occupation
retired
Jumbo go ahead and blame the insurance companies if you want. Just remember they did not write the legislation, the politicans did. Granted the politicans may have had some help along the way from the insurance companies as in "we think this would improve safety and it should be put into law." Oh by the way, "Here is a contribution to your next election campaign fund." Don't forget to include police, fire, parimedics and the like in the testing too. Seems to me some of these are exempt. Don't you think teachers in the schools system would be goo idea too?

I agree with what you say, my point was the insurance companies started the whole mess. "Reduce insurance claims, test for drugs." this was their claim. And, like sheep, everybody lead by politicians jumped on the bandwagon.

Around here, drug testing is so pervasive, if you do not get tested for drugs it seems to be an anomaly. Most of it is not legislatively required it is required by the employer's insurance.

But since we are on the CDL thread, think about the TWIC card which you need to get hired in any port town it seems; TWIC card, HAZ-MAT CDL endorsement, almost any airport or seaport security clearance cost anywhere from $150 to $250 to obtain. All investigating from what I see is done by Lockheed Marietta. They keep everything on computer. I have requested my records from each endorsment or card I get. they are all exactly the same, verbatium. Homeland security is a blackhole for your money and we all wilingly go along with it to be "safe." I prefer to save my money and take my chances.... Sorry for the diversion.
 

Greg

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2008
Messages
1,175
Location
Wi
Occupation
Excavating Contractor
Thanks so much for your explaination Jumbo. I will sleep much better tonight knowing that the Department of Homeland Security has all of this under control with the helps of Lockheed Marietta. And how much a year does this cost us???????????????
 

Jumbo

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
689
Location
Black Diamond WA
Occupation
retired
Thanks so much for your explaination Jumbo. I will sleep much better tonight knowing that the Department of Homeland Security has all of this under control with the helps of Lockheed Marietta. And how much a year does this cost us???????????????

Lord know, with the profit they make off of folks like you and me, why would they need to bill Homeland Security. I bet they still sent them a bill last week for saving us from ourselves:Banghead
 

Randy88

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
2,149
Location
iowa
My insurance company stepped in and told me this is what I needed to do, was have testing in place or else I wouldn't have insurance and would need to find a different insurance company, the problem was they all required it so it didn't matter which one I was dealing with. Somehow the statistics showed truck drivers had a higher risk of drugs and a liability issue from that standpoint, now if I choose I can require everyone who works for me to be tested if they have a cdl or not, thats legal.

It very well could be law that this testing is done I'm not sure but nobody but my insurance company ever told me I needed to do it, and nobody but my insurance company ever checked to see I was doing it.

I talked to a guy yesterday who's been driving now for 14 years and been in a pool all those years and he claimed he's only been pulled for sampling once and two of his coworkers were like me and every quarter it seemed they got pulled.
 

AT&SW

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Messages
60
Location
central Fl
Occupation
equipment owner/operator
I have been in a pool for 11 years and have never been randomly pulled. Have had to pee in the cup for 2 little ops but we do not want to talk about those.
 
Top