USDOT proposes adding fentanyl to truck driver drug testing program

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation

Washington — The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is moving to strengthen its drug testing program for safety-sensitive transportation employees, including truck drivers.

In a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on September 2, USDOT outlined its plan to add fentanyl and its metabolite, norfentanyl, to the list of substances covered under mandatory drug testing panels.

The agency cited alarming fentanyl use trends, noting that synthetic opioid overdoses claim an average of 150 American lives every day. “Adding fentanyl and norfentanyl is also in the interest of transportation safety, given the compelling information regarding the number of overdose deaths in the United States involving fentanyl,” USDOT stated.

Currently, federal regulations (49 CFR Part 40 Subpart F) require testing for five drug categories: marijuana, cocaine, opiates (opium and codeine derivatives), amphetamines and methamphetamines, and phencyclidine (PCP).

The move would also align USDOT’s program with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs, as required under the Omnibus Employee Testing Act of 1991.

USDOT will accept public comments on the proposed rule through October 17, 2025.