What Truck Drivers Should Know About Hair Follicle Tests

People undergoing heavy vehicle training need to know that several measures are usually taken to ensure that the public will not be put at risk by heavy goods vehicle drivers. One of those measures is testing hair follicles for the use of illegal drugs. This article discusses some of the important information that prospective truck drivers need to know about hair follicle testing.

When You Don't Have Hair

Some people undergoing truck driver training may be concerned that it will be hard for them to get trucking jobs because they don't have hair on their heads due to several factors, such as being bald. However, hair follicle testing can still be done using hair that is taken from other parts of the body, such as the legs and the chest. Such hair should be able to meet the length requirements of the testing facility.

Impact of Hair Products

Truck driver trainees should also not worry that the hair products that they use will alter the test results of their hair follicles. This is because such hair products cannot alter the chemical composition of the hair. Instead, the hair products, such as hair shampoo, will form a layer on the exterior part of the hair. The test results will rarely be affected by such external layers.

Fears About Second Hand Smoke

Some trainee truck drivers may also be concerned that they could be victims of second hand smoke when drug tests are conducted on their hair follicles. This fear should not lead you to have sleepless nights because the tests are so rigorous that only people who have consumed drugs will give a positive result. For example, the test usually looks for the presence of the metabolic products of the drugs within the hair follicle. Such metabolic products can be detected because they are deposited in the follicle by the blood that is nourishing your hair at its roots. It is therefore unlikely that your hair will return a positive result if you were exposed to second hand smoke from someone using drugs.

Many other tests, such as urine tests, may be conducted on truck drivers in order to identify those that are using banned substances. Learn about all those possible tests by enrolling at an accredited heavy vehicle training facility so that you can be equipped with all the information that you will need to avoid safety problems during your life as a truck driver.