Replacing PEV Drug & Alcohol Inquiries with the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse Query in 2023

The FMCSA is making changes to 49 CFR 391.23 which outlines the requirements for Previous Employer Verifications. 

As of January 6th, 2023, motor carriers will no longer be required to make drug-and-alcohol inquiries to previous employers. Employers will continue to make employment history and safety history inquiries with previous employers as part of the Previous Employer Verification requirement. 

In this article, we’ll explore what that means for you as a carrier and how to comply with these new regulations. 

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What's Changing?

As mentioned above, motor carriers will no longer be required to manually reach out to a driver’s previous employer for drug-and-alcohol-related information. Or, at least not in most cases.

When hiring a driver, rather than requesting a previous employment verification (PEV) on drug-and-alcohol information, your full query to the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse will provide this information. The clearinghouse now has enough data about drug and alcohol history to meet the requirement.  For more information on the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, visit our FAQ.

However, there are a few situations where you still need to manually reach out to previous employers to obtain drug and alcohol-related information. Some of these scenarios include:

• The driver was involved in a DOT-recordable accident(s)
• The driver has previously tested positive for drugs or alcohol
• The driver previously worked for a non-motor carrier or a company regulated by an organization other than the FMCSA

How Will This Impact Hiring Drivers?

If you’ve read our past blogs, you know that hiring drivers is difficult. Even worse, it’s expensive. When you add in advertising, recruiting, and onboarding costs, you’re spending up to $10,000 per hire.

The 2023 clearinghouse change should make hiring drivers easier. There’s one less hurdle between you and growing your fleet.

The new procedures are impactful but don’t sit around and wait for things to change in your favor. If you want to cut recruiting costs, hire more drivers, and build a fleet of all-stars, click here to learn more.