Alcohol Tests Spur Controversy

ALCOHOL February 1995

Transportation companies are expressing concern about new Federal random alcohol testing requirements for those working in "safety sensitive" transportation jobs (Diana Kunde, "Alcohol Test Fuels Debate," Dallas Morning News, Jan. 6, 1995, p. 1D).

The regulations, which went into effect in early January, require companies with 50 or more employees to institute random testing of 25 percent of the workforce. (Richard Clemente of the American Trucking Association told NewsBriefs that over the course of a year a total of 25 percent of a workforce would be tested, usually split into four testing groups). The pre-employment testing requirement goes into effect May 1.

Trucking and other transportation companies are concerned about the cost of the new testing requirements. There are no estimates of how much the testing will cost, but it is expected that small companies in rural areas will be hardest hit by the regulations.