If you’ve ever questioned why Integrity Sampling and Victoria Police advocate drug testing on Victorian roads and in Victorian workplaces, take a look at a video circulating online of a truck driver who took footage of himself behind the wheel of his heavy vehicle taking what he describes as illegal drugs.
Australian Trucking Association Chair Geoff Crouch has slammed the driver and said in a media release that, “This is not the trucking industry I know.”
“I know that the 50,000 businesses and 211,000 people in our industry would be united in condemning illegal drug use as appalling, reprehensible and dangerous. There is no excuse of taking illegal drugs. None.”
Mr Crouch said that truck drivers who take drugs will be caught in drug testing – whether it be random roadside drug testing carried out by Victoria Police or another jurisdiction, or workplace drug testing carried out by transport businesses.
“A rapidly growing number of trucking industry employers have random drug and alcohol testing, including my own business. The police do more roadside drug tests every year. In fact, Australia has the most intensive roadside drug testing program in the world,” Mr Crouch said in the media release.
Another group to condemn the driver and his actions is the Victorian Transport Association and its CEO Peter Anderson, who in an Owner Driver article branded him a disgrace to the industry.
“This is the sort of thing the industry has worked hard to stamp out, and it must be reinforced that the overwhelming majority of freight operators and drivers refrain from such behaviour and put safety first,” Mr Anderson says in the article.
He went on to add that driving heavy vehicles is a skilled profession and industry groups and the police work hard to stamp out isolated examples of those people who take drugs and get behind the wheel or take other actions that put road users at risk.
Drug testing for your Victorian transport business
If you own or manage a transport business in Victoria, it’s vital that you have a drug and alcohol policy in place and conduct regular drug testing for your employees.
Integrity Sampling can help. Our head branch is in Melbourne and we have branches that cover much of Victoria.
Give us a call today or 1300 SALIVA to organise a discussion on your individual needs.
IMAGE CAPTION:
Drug testing in Victoria not necessary? Think again! A truck driver who took drugs behind the wheel has been condemned by Victoria Police and industry groups Credit Takver. Modifications made. https://www.flickr.com/photos/takver/37041981104/
