Department of Transportation Regulations

A letter [PDF] from the Department of Transportation (DOT) to the APWU dated July 31, 1996, outlines which of its regulations apply to USPS employees. It stipulates that anyone who operates safety-sensitive equipment must have a DOT physical. Furthermore, these operators will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing, as well as drug and alcohol testing under certain conditions.

According to Department of Transportation regulations, beginning in September 2005, every state will be required to enforce rules governing the disqualification of drivers, without exception. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has posted the rules and table of disqualifications. [PDF] The decision is significant because states are required, for the first time, to disqualify CDL holders for offenses committed in non-commercial vehicles.

A letter [PDF] from the DOT to the APWU dated April 27, 2004, indicates that USPS employees are exempt from the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations of the DOT. USPS employees are not exempt from provisions pertaining to CDLs and drug and alcohol testing, however.

A USPS Vehicle Maintenance Bulletin [PDF] dated Sept. 25, 1998, prohibits insulin-dependent diabetics from operating two-ton trucks, citing DOT regulations.

A national-level agreement [PDF] between the APWU and USPS dated Feb. 19, 1992, outlines which employees are required to hold CDLs.

A memo [PDF] from USPS management to managers dated May 24, 1995, summarizes its policy on CDLs.

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