Various Companies and Various Tests...

[unkut2003]

Now I'm sure all companies do various tests before employment. So I've got a few questions I was hoping I could get answers too.


1) Are physical ability tests normal? If so, what companies do them?

2) Drug Screening from urine is normal, but what companies go the extra mile with hair and such?

3) Road Tests... this, to me, would seem a common practice.... is it?

[steelhauler2007]

The only time I have had a Physical Agility is when I started driving flatbeds.
Every company does a urine drug test and more companies are starting to do the hair follicle test. You will have to ask each company you talk to about their procedures.Me personally it doesn't matter what kind of test they do,I have nothing to hide. As far as driving test.

[unkut2003]

WOW!!! Only 1 response... C'mon guys... what am I gettin into???

[Fredog]

WOW!!! Only 1 response... C'mon guys... what am I gettin into???

if you are reasonably fit, dont do drugs and can drive decent, you got nothing to worry about. driving tests vary greatly. like shaffer takes 4 drivers at once and each one drives a couple miles, the one driving when you get back has to park it. no big deal.. others, like commercial carrier have you go out on the interstate and they have you do some real tight right turns and backing. My company has you go down the 4 lane through about 4 lights and then make a u turn and go back. so you see, there is no one answer to your question.

[unkut2003]

WOW!!! Only 1 response... C'mon guys... what am I gettin into???

if you are reasonably fit, dont do drugs and can drive decent, you got nothing to worry about. driving tests vary greatly. like shaffer takes 4 drivers at once and each one drives a couple miles, the one driving when you get back has to park it. no big deal.. others, like commercial carrier have you go out on the interstate and they have you do some real tight right turns and backing. My company has you go down the 4 lane through about 4 lights and then make a u turn and go back. so you see, there is no one answer to your question.

Well yes, there IS an answer... and believe it or not, you did help... THANKS! I was nervous that the "road test" was another deal like the BMV gives... From what you described, passing a physical/road test is a snap! As for the drug test.... I would give my urine to ANYONE for analysis.... but theres NO WAY I'm taking a needle or getting hair plucked!!! They want a drug screen, not a DNA test, hahaha.....

[Fredog]

WOW!!! Only 1 response... C'mon guys... what am I gettin into???

if you are reasonably fit, dont do drugs and can drive decent, you got nothing to worry about. driving tests vary greatly. like shaffer takes 4 drivers at once and each one drives a couple miles, the one driving when you get back has to park it. no big deal.. others, like commercial carrier have you go out on the interstate and they have you do some real tight right turns and backing. My company has you go down the 4 lane through about 4 lights and then make a u turn and go back. so you see, there is no one answer to your question.

Well yes, there IS an answer... and believe it or not, you did help... THANKS! I was nervous that the "road test" was another deal like the BMV gives... From what you described, passing a physical/road test is a snap! As for the drug test.... I would give my urine to ANYONE for analysis.... but theres NO WAY I'm taking a needle or getting hair plucked!!! They want a drug screen, not a DNA test, hahaha.....

the hair pluck may not be an option. they only take one, it's not bad

[unkut2003]

WOW!!! Only 1 response... C'mon guys... what am I gettin into???

if you are reasonably fit, dont do drugs and can drive decent, you got nothing to worry about. driving tests vary greatly. like shaffer takes 4 drivers at once and each one drives a couple miles, the one driving when you get back has to park it. no big deal.. others, like commercial carrier have you go out on the interstate and they have you do some real tight right turns and backing. My company has you go down the 4 lane through about 4 lights and then make a u turn and go back. so you see, there is no one answer to your question.

Well yes, there IS an answer... and believe it or not, you did help... THANKS! I was nervous that the "road test" was another deal like the BMV gives... From what you described, passing a physical/road test is a snap! As for the drug test.... I would give my urine to ANYONE for analysis.... but theres NO WAY I'm taking a needle or getting hair plucked!!! They want a drug screen, not a DNA test, hahaha.....

the hair pluck may not be an option. they only take one, it's not bad

OUCH, hahaha! I'd have to prep myself for that one. I can't stand my hair being touched..... let alone "plucked", haha! What companies do that??? I've actually heard the hair test is less reliable then urine???

[RebelDarlin]

Hair drug testing

Hair testing is quite accurate and can go back normally 3 months (6 months or longer possible with specialty tests), showing any drugs of abuse used in the detection window. As hair grows out, any drugs used are encased in the hair shaft, so the longer the hair, the longer back in the individual's drug history the lab can detect. Accredited hair drug testing labs, however, only use hair within about 2.5–4 cm of the scalp, and discard the rest. With head hair each 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) corresponds to about 30 days. This limits the detection history to about 90 days, depending upon the rate at which the individual's hair grows. Some people attempt to circumvent this through shaving their heads. In the absence of the required amount of hair on the scalp, body hair can be used as an acceptable substitute. It is also possible to use body hair to do hair drug testing, but since body hair grows slower, the head hair window of detection measures will not apply to body hair.

Additionally, for pre-employment hair testing, the inability to obtain a sample may be grounds for not hiring the individual. Hair Testing labs are regulated by CLIA or SAMHSA (not FDA). There is a growing trend in major companies and law enforcement agencies to utilize hair analysis on account of its efficiency and reputation as the gold standard when considering test accuracy. This technology makes use of radioimmunoassay technology with subsequent confirmation by mass spectrometry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_test

[unkut2003]

Hair drug testing

Hair testing is quite accurate and can go back normally 3 months (6 months or longer possible with specialty tests), showing any drugs of abuse used in the detection window. As hair grows out, any drugs used are encased in the hair shaft, so the longer the hair, the longer back in the individual's drug history the lab can detect. Accredited hair drug testing labs, however, only use hair within about 2.5–4 cm of the scalp, and discard the rest. With head hair each 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) corresponds to about 30 days. This limits the detection history to about 90 days, depending upon the rate at which the individual's hair grows. Some people attempt to circumvent this through shaving their heads. In the absence of the required amount of hair on the scalp, body hair can be used as an acceptable substitute. It is also possible to use body hair to do hair drug testing, but since body hair grows slower, the head hair window of detection measures will not apply to body hair.

Additionally, for pre-employment hair testing, the inability to obtain a sample may be grounds for not hiring the individual. Hair Testing labs are regulated by CLIA or SAMHSA (not FDA). There is a growing trend in major companies and law enforcement agencies to utilize hair analysis on account of its efficiency and reputation as the gold standard when considering test accuracy. This technology makes use of radioimmunoassay technology with subsequent confirmation by mass spectrometry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_test

WOW!!!! I was under the impression only government agencies performed a test of that nature, hahaha! Seems like its an EXPENSIVE test too!!!! What trucking, or ANY company for that matter, actually go that far??? Because personally, I've worked for 3 multi-billion dollar companies and all they did were urine tests.

[RebelDarlin]

I think you'd be surprised how many companies are going to this. And since it is becoming more "popular" the price is coming down. In this industry, I see it becoming the norm.


BTW, my 20 y/o daughter applied at a jewelry company at the local mall and had to do a hair test.