The FMCSA Clearinghouse recently released the May 2020 Monthly Summary Report. The report shows interesting statistics regarding what has gone in the Clearinghouse since it opened in September of 2019 through the effective date of January 6, 2020 and on through May of 2020.
The report shows 889,268 drivers registered in the Clearinghouse which is far less than the total estimated number of CDL drivers in the United States of approximately 3 million. Driver registration is not required however if a driver is applying for a job; he or she must be registered. Those drivers with a positive test or other violation reported to the Clearinghouse must be registered to move forward with the required return to duty process.
Over 21,000 drug or alcohol violations have been reported to the Clearinghouse between January and March. Only 489 of those were for alcohol violations. Positive drug tests account for 80% of the total violations reported. Marijuana positives were the largest with 10,388. Other positive results to note were:
• 3192 – Cocaine Metabolite (BZE)
• 2184 – Methamphetamine
• 2108 – Amphetamine
Each of the other drugs for which violations were reported were under 1000 each.
If a driver has a drug and alcohol program violation recorded against him or her in the Clearinghouse, that driver must be removed from safety-sensitive functions, including operating a commercial motor vehicle, until he or she has completed a return-to-duty (RTD) process. The majority of drivers with violations and now in a prohibited status have not started the return to duty process – over 15,000.
Employer Registrations
125,510 employer accounts were registered, of those 35,532 were owner operators. This is far less than the total estimated number (OVER 500,000) of DOT carriers in the United States. FMCSA regulated employers are required to register for the Clearinghouse in order to hire drivers and to report violations. Owner operators have a unique situation as they are subject to the requirements pertaining to employers as well as those pertaining to drivers. Under the Clearinghouse final rule, an employer who employs himself or herself as a CDL driver must designate a consortium/third-party administrator (C/TPA) to comply with the employer’s Clearinghouse reporting requirements. Owner operators must register as an employer and then add their driver information.
Consortium/Third Party Administrator (C/CPA) and Medical Review Officers (MRO)
It appears that there is a larger percentage of participation and registration among C/TPA’s and MRO’s. The report shows 2477 MRO account user registrations and 10,239 C/TPA user registrations. MRO’s must be registered as they are required to report positive drug test violations. The TPA industry seems to have a high registration rate in order to help their clients with the Clearinghouse responsibilities and fulfill the requirements for the owner operators.
FMCSA Clearinghouse Assistance Available
FMCSA Clearinghouse Services, Inc is a private company formed to assist any Clearinghouse users the requirements of the Clearinghouse rules. Reach out for any questions, consultation or to join any of our membership programs.
