Bus and motorcoach operators will have an important opportunity to learn how to use the FMCSA’s CDL Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse during a live online UMA Town Hall meeting on Nov. 21 from 2:00–3:15 p.m. ET. The Town Hall Meeting will inform risk management, safety, compliance and operations personnel about how to use the federally mandated clearinghouse to equip operators to begin using the site on Jan. 6, 2020.
UMA board members will host the session, which will be led by expert personnel from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Operators attending the online meeting will be able to get a copy of the presentation and ask questions. It’s easy to join the meeting by logging on to the video conference or phoning in. Full information on how to attend is at www.uma.org/regional and at the end of this article.
Registration for the portal is open now, and operators will need to move quickly to be ready to comply by the January deadline.
Clearinghouse background
Mandated by Congress, the Clearinghouse will contain records of violations of drug and alcohol prohibitions in 49 CFR Part 382, Subpart B, including positive drug or alcohol test results and test refusals. When a driver completes the return-to-duty (RTD) process and follow-up testing plan, this information will also be recorded in the Clearinghouse.
The Clearinghouse is a secure online database that will give employers, the FMCSA, State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs), and state law enforcement personnel real-time information about commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders’ drug and alcohol program violations.
How to attend
To attend the live meeting on Nov. 21, log in to https://zoom.us/j/3665139797 at 2:00 p.m. ET or call in to 1(669) 900-6833 or 1(646) 876-9923 and use the meeting ID: 366 513 9797. If using audio only for the meeting, be sure to download the slides after the event by visiting www.uma.org/regional.
More information
For more information, contact Sydni Konohia at (703) 838-2929 or email her at skonohia@uma.org to learn more or to pose a question in advance to be addressed by the presenter.
