Drug Testing
Topic 3460 | Page 1
Benadryl while it's an over the counter drug it can cause drowsiness in some people so it would be a no no. I take Claritin Non Drowsy and have no issues with it.
Now the pain meds will be a serious issue. Pretty much we are limited to over the counter pain meds like Advil or Aleve or Asprin. Anything stronger that requires a prescription and you have to wait 30 days before you can drive a truck again.
Anything with an operating machinery warning is a big no-no. Probably would not be an issue in a pre-employment screen but there's no reason not to ask if everything is legit.
Welcome aboard Tara! The advice given already is correct. I just wanted to add that there is no official list of approved drugs for commercial driving so if you have questions about specific ones you can call any hospital or doctor's office that gives DOT physicals and they can give you more specific answers.
And for any drug that is not approved there is almost always an alternative that will be ok to use. You may have to change your prescription over and wait 30 days or so for the old one to get out of your system.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Whatever you do, if you use a pain drug that contains a narcotic WAIT THIRTY DAYS before you report to school. There is a DOT rule against driving before thirty days since the last use of a narcotic containing prescription. Ask me how I know . . . 
Jopa
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
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DOT Physical
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I am thinking seriously about a truck driving career, but a am curious about the results of testing. I don't do illegal drugs, but I do take Benadryl (over the counter) for allergies and have a glass of wine about twice a week. Should I state this on the application, or should I just not mention it at all? I figured I should wait 90 days just to get it out of my system first, thus avoiding the whole issue in the first place. I do take gabapentin prescribed for pain/arthritis but I don't know if it's legal or not, It does say something about not operating machinery while taking it on it's lable. Is this something I would be disqualified for? I do not intend to take this while being on the road at all, since it would impair my judgment and all. Thanks
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.