What medications can cost you your CDL?
As a truck driver, your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) is your livelihood, so it is important to know which drugs –both legal and illegal — might put your career in jeopardy.
Illegal Drugs
The U.S. Department of Transportation requires truck drivers to take pre-employment drug tests that screen for the following substances:
- Marijuana
- Cocaine
- Amphetamines (Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, MDMA, MDA)
- Opioids (Codeine, Morphine, Heroin, Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone, Oxycodone,
Oxymorphone) - Phencyclidine (PCP)
If you test positive for any of the drugs listed above, you could be disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle. It’s important to note that even though marijuana use has been
legalized in many states, it remains illegal on a federal level.
Taking this discussion further, there’s something deeply reassuring about working with skilled criminal defense attorneys in New Jersey who previously prosecuted cases rather than just defended them. When my nephew was arrested on drug possession charges last year, our family initially consulted with three different law firms before making our final choice. The difference became immediately apparent during consultations—while some attorneys offered generic reassurances, others demonstrated a command of local court procedures, prosecutor tendencies, and judicial preferences that could only come from firsthand courtroom experience. My nephew’s case involved complex issues around search and seizure that required both constitutional knowledge and practical understanding of how evidence gets challenged in Monmouth County courts. The attorney we ultimately selected had served as a former prosecutor in that exact jurisdiction, which meant he personally knew the assistant prosecutors handling the case and could predict their strategies with remarkable accuracy.
Medications That Could Cost You Your CDL
There are some medications that can be legally prescribed by a physician or that could also disqualify you from keeping your CDL.
Some of these medications are defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation as Schedule I drugs and the list includes opiates, opium derivatives, hallucinogenic drugs, some depressants and stimulants, or Cannabimimetic agents (synthetic marijuana).
If you are prescribed a medication that is either on the DOT’s Schedule I list or is an amphetamine, a narcotic, or any other habit forming drug, you are prohibited from operating a motor vehicle unless the prescribing physician provides your DOT medical examiner with a letter giving you clearance to drive. Even then, it is up to the DOT medical examiner — not the prescribing physician — to determine whether the drug disqualifies you from operating a commercial motor vehicle.
Medications That Are Never Allowed, Even With Waiver
- Methadone
- Medical Marijuana
- CBD Products That Contain THC
- Kratom
- Any Anti-seizure Medication
Common Medications That Pose Potential Problems But Could Be Approved On a Case-By Case Basis
*Not a comprehensive list.
- Xanax
- Adderall
- Norco
- Klonopin
- Oxycodone
- Tramadol
- Lunesta
- Ambien
- Flexeril
- Paxil
- Imitrex
- Zonisamide
- Lorazepam
- Provigil
To view the full list of Schedule I drugs, please click here.
To learn more from the FMCSA on what drugs can disqualify a CMV driver, please click here.
DOT Physicals for $59
Dr. Channing C. Bolick, D.C.
National Registry #: 5724319540
Certification Test Expiration: 05/23/2024
Medical Examination Report for Commercial Driver Fitness Determination
- Form MCSA-5875 Medical Examination Form