According to the results of Trucknews.com’s June Pulse Reader Survey, readers expressed a high level of concern about cannabis use among commercial drivers, rating it at an average of 73 out of 100 since cannabis was legalized in Canada in 2018.
Approximately one-third of survey respondents (34.3%) mentioned that their companies had adjusted their drug and alcohol policies since 2018. In addition, among the respondents who answered follow-up questions about changes, 17% reported increased random testing, 5% noted a move to third-party testing services, and 35% said their companies have started educating drivers about off-duty cannabis and alcohol use. However, 50.8% of respondents said no changes have been made at all.
Furthermore, for survey questions regarding preferred testing methods, 44.4% of respondents selected urine tests, while 30.2% preferred blood tests, 7.9% chose hair testing, and 17.5% of respondents chose oral fluid. In addition, some survey respondents noted that urine tests don’t align with real-time impairment detection.
In his interview with Trucknews.com, Jonathan Davids, corporate medical director of DriverCheck Inc., Canada’s provider of workplace medical testing and assessments, also noted that a positive test does not necessarily indicate impairment at the time of testing, leading to potential misconceptions about the results.
“Drug tests are not tests of impairment,” he said. “Just because you have a positive drug test, it doesn’t mean you’re actually impaired at that moment. With the exception of alcohol, we can’t determine impairment from the presence of a drug alone.”
When it came to questions regarding the frequency of testing, most respondents stated they preferred multiple points of intervention. Specifically, nearly 70% of respondents indicated that they supported random testing several times a year, 51.5% said drivers should be tested upon hiring, and 50% supported post-accident testing. Finally, 45.5% of respondents also supported testing based on a manager’s reasonable suspicion.
The survey also revealed an increasing awareness of cognitive impairment beyond substance use, with 72% of respondents indicating they were familiar with the concept, but only 20% reporting company testing for it. Concerns were also raised about challenges with the U.S. Return to Duty process, with nearly 25% saying they or someone they know had been forced out of the industry as a result. Respondents emphasized shared responsibility between drivers and carriers in preventing impairment and called for stricter consequences for substance abuse.
“Drivers should take responsibility and use common sense,” wrote one of the survey respondents. “A company can test and train drivers, but it takes effort by both parties.” Another added: “There’s no place in this industry for any substance abuse of any kind. Penalties need to come with stiffer consequences.”