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Despite the legalization of marijuana in Canada and several U.S. states, the rate of positive drug tests among Canadian cross-border truck drivers has remained stable.
Jonathan Davids, the corporate medical director of DriverCheck Inc., emphasizes that this consistency highlights the importance of testing, education, and supervisor training in promoting road safety.
In regulated trucking, where drivers cross into the U.S. and are subject to Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, positivity rates hover around 1%.
However, rates for non-regulated trucking, which involves domestic routes, are about 7%. This data is based on “hundreds of thousands” of annual tests for regulated trucking companies and “tens of thousands” for non-regulated ones.
Between 2014 and 2018, the positivity rate for DOT-regulated trucking was 0.77%.
Following the legalization of recreational marijuana in October 2018, the rate increased slightly to 0.78% by the end of 2023.
Davids notes that regulated trucking has the lowest marijuana testing positivity rates among various sectors, indicating that strict regulations and enforcement are effective in reducing drug and alcohol use.
Post-legalization, the number of non-DOT positive tests in Canada surged from 5.31% to 7.68%, marking a 44.6% increase.
While drug testing yields higher positivity rates than alcohol testing, the latter remains relatively low, with rates around 0.3% for regulated trucking and 0.4% for non-regulated trucking.
In Quebec, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) reports low numbers of alcohol and drug-impaired driving offenses among heavy vehicle drivers from January 2018 to June 2024.
During this period, there were 44 arrests related to drug impairment and 19 for alcohol impairment.
In Saskatchewan, an increase in drug-impaired driving cases has been attributed to enhanced testing capabilities rather than a rise in drug use.
Mathew Austin from the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol explains that advancements in testing technology have led to more frequent detection of drug impairment.
Davids emphasizes that a positive drug test does not necessarily indicate impairment at the time of testing, particularly for THC, which can linger in the system long after use.
This distinction complicates the interpretation of results, as many drivers may not be impaired despite testing positive.
The American Transportation Research Institute reports that marijuana accounts for over half of all positive drug tests among commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders in the U.S., contributing to a significant number of driver suspensions.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) mandates a return-to-duty (RTD) process for drivers who test positive, with only 28% completing it, suggesting many drivers either leave the industry or fail to meet the requirements.
Different testing methods are currently employed in Canada, including urine and oral fluid tests.
Oral fluid tests are more effective for identifying recent use, particularly for THC, while urine tests can detect substances over a longer period.
The reasonable cause testing, where supervisors suspect impairment, has the highest positivity rates, reaching around 40%.
Davids warns that even CBD products can lead to positive marijuana tests due to trace amounts of THC. He notes that many CBD products sold in Canada may contain small amounts of THC, which can lead to positive results in drug tests.
Canadian drivers traveling to the U.S. must adhere to the same rules and regulations, including the FMCSA’s RTD processes.
Many Canadian fleets crossing the border choose to adopt the same policies as in the U.S. to ensure compliance.
The FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse reports that marijuana remains the most commonly detected substance in positive drug tests among truck drivers.
However, there has been a recent downward trend in marijuana-positive tests, with early data from 2024 suggesting this decline may continue.
Overall, while marijuana legalization has influenced drug testing results, stringent regulations and effective enforcement in regulated trucking have helped maintain low positivity rates.
The trucking industry continues to navigate these changes, emphasizing the importance of education and training in ensuring road safety.
As the legal landscape evolves, the industry must adapt to new testing methods and regulatory requirements to maintain compliance and safety on the roads.
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