The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has published updated statistics on commercial vehicle drivers facing automatic license downgrades as a result of drug and alcohol infractions.
Recently, the FMCSA unveiled its inaugural monthly reports concerning violations recorded in the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse since the implementation of the significant Clearinghouse-II regulation on November 18, 2024.
Under the Clearinghouse-II regulation, commercial drivers who have violations listed in the FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse must have their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) or Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) downgraded by State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs). Drivers whose CDL or CLP has been downgraded are prohibited from operating commercial vehicles until they complete the return-to-duty (RTD) procedures.
The latest report offers an overview of all CDL and CLP holders with recorded violations in the Clearinghouse as of December 1, 2024.
According to the most recent data, 180,048 CDL and CLP holders were designated as being in “Prohibited” status by December 1, 2024. Of these, 137,888 drivers had not yet initiated the RTD process required to regain their commercial driving rights.
The report highlights a persistent and gradual rise in the number of drivers classified under “Prohibited” status each month. Specifically, the count stood at 180,110 on November 1, 2024, increased from 178,839 on October 1, 2024, and was 177,092 on September 1, 2024.
Introduced in October 2021, the Clearinghouse-II rule by the FMCSA aims to enhance the oversight of SDLAs concerning the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. This regulation builds upon and reinforces earlier rules that forbid drivers from operating vehicles while in a “Prohibited” Clearinghouse status.
The FMCSA clarified, “As outlined in the initial Clearinghouse Final Rule, drivers with a ‘Prohibited’ status in the Clearinghouse are barred from driving commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) on public highways. The subsequent Clearinghouse-II rule further ensures that such drivers cannot retain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or commercial learner’s permit (CLP).”
Additionally, the FMCSA’s first Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse Final Rule, effective from January 6, 2020, mandates that motor carriers must check an online database containing drug and alcohol violation records of CDL and CLP holders before hiring a driver and annually for current drivers.
You can click here to learn more about the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse.
