Mandatory Department Of Transportation Drug Testing For Drivers

Safety Tips and Traffic Rules That Every Truck Driver Should Know -  Communal News

Before a company hires you as a driver, you need to make sure that you have fully understood their policies because you are going to sign a contract and that is proof that you agree to the rules as was discussed during the interview. I supposed it is clearly stated there that you are going to comply with the requirements where one of these is to perform a drug as well as alcohol testing since this is a rule that the Department of Transportation implements. As a driver, it is a must for you to have a clean record and no traces of substances like THC.

It is also important to have a valid driver’s license without DUI charges recorded because your employer will perform a background check and this may be one of the reasons that will take away the opportunity of having a job. Keep in mind that there are employers who are very meticulous when it comes to criminal offenses and since you are applying as a driver, then it is very important to have a clean history. With the DUI or DWI, alcohol and drugs are involved while you are driving so it may lead to unemployment as well. 

So before applying for a job that is related to your driving skills, you have to make sure that you can commit to the DOT drug test policy because this is a big factor that can greatly affect your employment. You should also know that the employer has a reputation to protect so they also need to follow the rules that the Department of Transportation is strictly mandating for them to continue operating their business. If you think that you cannot conform to this, then you may have to think of other vacant positions, though most applicants today are already required to perform this type of screening.

Why are you tested?

As a driver or a passenger, you may have been already in a car accident or have witnessed one. This could be a traumatic experience for some people, while it may lead to someone’s impairment or inability to live normally. I supposed you would not like any member of your family to be in this situation when on the road.

This is one of the reasons why there is a law in the US that instructs companies with employed drivers or any motor vehicle-related positions to undergo the DOT drug and alcohol testing. This is for the safety of the working environment and employers in the field of trucking, railroads, aviation, and pipelines.

Keep in mind that the employer should not allow you to start working without the result because once reported that you have not yet conducted this pre-employment requirement, then your employer will be fined. However, when already employed and has undergone a post-accident as well as a random testing, you may still drive while waiting for the result. And then, when you are verified to be positive, you will be fired from work. Get more info from https://www.ehstoday.com/health/article/21127681/dot-modifies-transport-employee-drug-testing to know the modified rules due to the pandemic.

Drug & Alcohol Regulation Updates for 2018 – Alia Drug Testing

Screening Rules

According to the Department of Transportation, before the employer hires a certain employee, he must comply first to this screening. Aside from that, the DOT-related agencies must also require the employees to take perform this type of laboratory examination randomly every year.

You also need to undergo this clinical testing once you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, especially when someone is injured or depending on the fatality of the situation. He has to perform the 5-panel test of a urine sample to check for the presence of THC, cocaine, amphetamines, PCP, and opiates.

If you are required to undergo this several times, then you cannot refuse because larger companies would like this to be performed multiple times in a year. Anyway, this will depend on the contract that you are going to sign, so you should know the company policy as well. This is to enhance public safety, anyway.

Random

Expect for unannounced follow-up as well as random screenings. Once you received the request to perform this testing, you should proceed to the accredited clinical laboratory right away for specimen collection. 

You will be scheduled for the procedure and do not consider delaying this because it will be considered as a refusal when you did not make it on time. The technician who is in-charged in the laboratory will contact your office and report your non-appearance.

Prescription

Under certain conditions, a driver is allowed to take prescription drugs as long as it is not included in the list of controlled substances provided by the FMCSR – find here the list of substances. There are substances that may affect your driving capability, but since you have a medical condition, then you have to be prescribed with the qualified treatments only.

By the way, a licensed medical practitioner must provide a prescription and he should know your work environment as well. He also needs to make sure that the effects of the substance will not affect his mental and physical qualifications to drive a motor vehicle. You will not be excused from the drug testing rules when the doctor has no insights about the industry or your field of work. 

Refusal

Company owners or the person in charge of the hiring process may disregard your application when you refused to do the screening or when you did not appear during the scheduled screening day, did not cooperate, contaminated the specimen, and when you left the clinical laboratory without completing the procedure. Remember that this is a part of the pre-employment requirements, so it is important for you to obey to show that you are interested in filling up the vacant position.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation prohibits the refusal of the said screening. Refusal means that you will be evaluated for alcoholism and drug abuse issues. This means that the authority will take away your chance to function in a safety-sensitive working environment. In my opinion, it would be great if you can discuss with your employer your reasons for refusal but during the screening period, you have should not interfere with the procedure.

Posted in Law

Extending the Vacation Indefinitely: Moving to Benidorm!

Benidorm is one of the most alluring travel destinations in Europe. The picturesque city is located in the province of Alicante, Spain, and is a must-visit destination for anyone looking to have a taste of the Mediterranean life. Apart from the dazzling cityscape, it also boasts of having stunning beaches. Perfect sunny weather is yet another feature that makes Benidorm a lovable tourist destination with travelers flocking the city all year round. Not only is it a home away from home, but it’s also a travel utopia for many foreigners who are looking to enjoy their downtime.

Many tourists usually fall in love with Benidorm’s lifestyle; consequently, they often opt to extend their visit. If you’re planning to have an extended stay in Benidorm, you’ll definitely have to find a suitable place to stay. Thankfully, there are plenty of places that offer great comfort; you can easily find a beachfront apartment on Kuhamia.com

Benidorm is a place that is known to have an innumerable number of skyscrapers; moreover, it also has three stunning beaches thus making it the quintessential seaside resort. The city has been meticulously planned, hence making it spacious. Whether you are planning on calling Benidorm your forever home, or just want to enjoy it for an extended period, you should definitely familiarize yourself with this place. Here are some interesting things you should know about Benidorm.

The Community

Benidorm is considered to be a culturally diverse city with its local population consisting of roughly 46%; the rest are foreigners who come from a diverse number of countries including China, Britain, Argentina, Morocco, among other countries. The entire population of Benidorm is about 70,000; the city has also managed to attract a significant number of the LGBT community. 

Property Landscape

When it comes to accommodation, there are plenty of places to stay in Benidorm. If you want to enjoy spectacular views of the city, then you should definitely stay in a penthouse; they usually come with a rooftop pool. Single bedroom apartments are also a great option for those who would like to have a more toned-down vacation. The city is parked with diverse living communities that range from lively neighborhoods to quieter places; they also cater to all budget sizes. Some of the tourists who plan on extending their stay prefer to stay in villas and bungalows since they offer a more tailored living.

Transportation and Amenities

Commuting around the city is very easy; this is because Benidorm has a great transportation system that is well connected to various parts of the city. You can either use the trams or buses that efficiently serve the entire region besides having reasonably priced fares. Since Benidorm is made up of a multicultural community, the cuisines found on various eatery joints are also diverse. You can find plenty of entertainment joints, some of which include theme parks, water parks, golf courses, casinos, free cabaret shows, etc. 

Cost of Living

The cost of living analysis is very crucial especially when you’re planning to stay in a new location for a prolonged period of time. Thankfully, the living expenses in Benidorm is 10% lower compared to other cities in Spain. Consequently, this makes it a place that is very livable and affordable. 

Health and Education 

There are numerous health facilities in the city comprising of a huge public hospital and various public health clinics. You can also find a couple of private health facilities that have staff who can communicate in English. This can be of great benefit especially if you need to access medical services and you aren’t familiar with the Spanish language. If you’ve planned to move with your family, you can find a number of great schools that can give your children a solid foundation in academics. You can either choose a Spanish speaking school or opt for an International learning facility that teaches a different syllabus such as the British Curriculum. 

Conclusion

Benidorm is truly a holiday destination that is one-of-a-kind; it offers numerous fun adventures besides being a great place to unwind. Before making the big step of moving to this place, ensure you’ve done your due diligence to facilitate a smooth transition. Following the guidelines provided above will definitely help you to find a nice place and get acquainted with Benidorm’s culture. 

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Choosing The Right Energy Plan

Choosing the right energy plan is easier than you might think. Once you understand the basics, you can make a well-informed decision about which gas or electricity plan to pick. Selecting your energy plan provides the ability to compare two or more energy companies and take advantage of fixed or variable rates, customer benefits, and unrivaled customer service. 

Are you interested in a gas plan and a true apples-to-apples gas Ohio comparison? Keep reading for tips on how to find the right energy plan in your area. 

Know Your Energy Use

When choosing a gas plan, the first thing you need to do is understand your energy usage. One of the simplest ways to work out how much gas energy you consume is to check your bills. If you have a consistent energy consumption level each month, you can create a rough picture of how much energy you need a month. 

Your bill may fluctuate based on who supplies your electricity and gas. Information like this can make things complicated in terms of calculating energy use, but it isn’t impossible. 

There are a few things that all energy bills have:

  • Energy used: The amount tells you how much energy you used in one month, but it is calculated in dollars, not energy units. 
  • Billing period: The interval over which you are being charged tells you how much you are paying for the energy you use in one month or year. 
  • Usage: The most significant figure when it comes to calculating how much energy you use in kWh. It is stated in kilowatt-hours and shows you how much you are paying per kWh for a clear comparison. 

Another way to determine your energy use is to go directly to your electricity or gas meter and take direct readings for the record. 

Know The Difference between Fixed and Variable Rates

A fixed rate means that your energy price for gas will not change for the duration of the energy plan. A variable rate means the opposite, with prices potentially fluctuating each month. 

Each option has its merits. If you are on a fixed energy tariff and your gas or electricity provider announces a rise, your rates will not change. 

Fixed rates provide security and are some of the cost-effective options. Although you will be stuck for a year, you know how much you will pay each month. If you want to break the deal, you will need to pay additional fees. 

Variable rates are more flexible, and you can usually get out of your contract without paying extra fees. 

The most obvious benefit of a fixed rate deal is knowing how much you will pay each month. You can budget your monthly costs and plan your finances. Most energy suppliers offer a fixed tariff, so the market is competitive. 

When comparing apples-to-apples, gas Ohio companies let you should choose between the cheapest monthly cost, the longest fixed contract, or a provider that allows you to exit the fixed deal without a fee. The biggest drawback is that if the price for gas drops, you could get stuck paying the higher rate. 

When choosing between fixed and variable rates, consider your monthly income, your current financial situation, and how often you will have the time to compare the gas market for cheaper deals. 

Shop Smart 

Shopping for the right energy plan shouldn’t be complicated. Some plans have hidden fees, others wrongly advertise monthly savings, and some plans are just misleading. You’ve probably tried a few websites looking for comprehensive information on which provider will save you the most money on your energy bill.

For example, Texas has been deregulated since 2002, meaning you can choose your electricity provider. More than forty retail electricity providers in the state offer fixed, variable, and other plans. 

With deregulation, you can select free electricity at specific times, fixed tariff plans, prepaid energy, 100% renewable energy, and more. Whether you are running a business or looking for a new energy provider for your home, getting the right plan can make a vast difference in your monthly bills. 

Deregulation gives residents the power to choose their providers and while having the ability to choose is a good thing it can seem like a daunting task initially. Make it easier on yourself and check out comparison websites that do the research and hard work for you by comparing rates, plans and prices. Making sure you have the best rate is only one click away. 

5 Interior Design Tips for a Brighter Home

Is your home in serious need of a makeover? If it’s too dull and dark it can not only be unattractive, but uncomfortable to sit in. With spring just around the corner, why not try brightening things up. Don’t worry though, if your budget is tight, as there are several easy to do things to bring a bit of light into your home and brighten it up.

Check out these 5 great tips for starters.

Make Use of Metallic Finishes

When you have reflective surfaces in your home, you can create the illusion that the room is brighter and more expansive than it is. Metallic finishes on surfaces work in a similar way to mirrors, it’s just that they are much sleeker and smaller and therefore, you need more of them to get the desired effect. Are you in the process of refurbishing or renovating your living room, bathroom or kitchen? Think about adding elements with metallic finishes. Even if you are not doing anything major, the addition of metallic finishing to your dining table or a mirrored vanity unit or even just a glass coffee table that has metallic legs can make all the difference.

Mirrors

Following on nicely from the above, we want to talk about mirrors. Mirrors are one of the best things you can add to all the rooms in your home. Rather than just being something, you can look in to check your hair or makeup, they help (as noted above) to create the illusion of a lighter and roomier space. They can be either placed on various pieces of furniture or mounted on a wall. The most important thing is to make sure they are firmly secured and unlikely to slip or fall.

Decorative Pieces With Cool-Tone Colors

You can give each room in your home a very calm and cool feel by using furnishings and accessories to decorate them with whites, creams, pastel greens, and light blues. You’ll find a good selection on Kalusto. Do you have those trendy terracotta plant pots? Get rid of them and replace them with glazed varieties with lighter colors. Updating your home’s accessories is one of the easiest and quickest ways to bring a bit more brightness into the property.

White and Cream Paints

Although it may not sound like the most thrilling prospect, if you are looking to brighten your surroundings, it may be worth refreshing the walls of your home with lighter colored paints, even going as far as to choosing creams and whites. This will provide a blank canvas that will reflect light and heat into your home, making it feel brighter and warmer. 

Reassess Your Windows

The best way to brighten your home is to look at how much natural light is getting in as possible. Assess your windows. Are they allowing the maximum amount of light? Or are they shaded, worn out or tired-looking? If they are, it may be time to change them. If you don’t want to do anything as drastic, think about the curtains and blinds you have now. Could they be the problem?

There you have it, if you are looking to brighten your home, it doesn’t always need a lot of work. With the above tips, you will have a brighter and cheerier home that is ready for spring and summer.

3 Great Ways to Extend Your Home

If you are looking for a great way to add value and maximise the space available while creating more in the process; then you should consider extending your property in some way. When this is done properly, it can be an exceptionally good investment.

Loft extensions have become increasingly popular in the last couple of decades as it is the best way to get a bigger living space without selling your home and moving to a new one. But you may be wondering if another type of extension is best for your home. In the following article, we will look at three great ways.

Three of the most common extension types that we will look at and offer some advice about include:

  • Single Storey Extension
  • Two Storey Extension
  • Garage Extension
  • Single Storey Extension

One of the most common and popular types of extensions is the single storey house extension. This can be done either using a pre-existing garage or outbuilding or using the side or rear of your property. Usually, people opt for single storey extensions from the rear of their building. The style of roofing you would choose for this kind of renovation would depend on what your existing house has. Pitched tiled or flat roofs are what most people seem to favour. As it offers a better look, feel, and lasts long, the pitched tiled roof is recommended. However, you need to think about access to higher points of your home for maintenance and repairs on the gutters, roof, and even upper floor windows. You also need to be careful that the design does not interfere or impede emergency escape plans and routes you may have in place.

Two Storey Extension

Although this is also a common choice for extending homes, whether it is possible depends on factors such as the design and type of property you have, as well as obtaining planning permission. The main challenge with designing an extension that is two or even more storeys high is to design the upper storeys considering how they will impact the light for any adjoining buildings and homes. That is, an extension should not cause any sunlight loss to gardens or principal rooms and living spaces in your neighbour’s homes.

A well-designed extension is one that matches the rest of the home and does not stand out too much from neighbour’s homes.

Garage Extension

You can use an existing garage to build an extension over and around it. This requires a lot of careful consideration. For instance, if the garage is situated back from the house, it is less likely that you will be able to form an extension with a roof that matches the slope and eaves line to give a terracing effect. However, more commonly. The garage will be level with the front of the house, and in this situation, you should set the first floor back by at least 1m, with a pitched roof incorporated over the setback.

Why is hiring a cleaning company cheaper than doing the cleaning yourself?

Progress is sometimes hard to notice, and people are left in their old ways of thinking, even though their environments have changed. A while ago, a car was something most people could only ever dream of. At the same time, nowadays it’s become a commodity some refuse as a matter of principle – that’s how ubiquitous it’s become. A similar parallel can be traced to the use of cleaning companies. The days of maids and servants are (mostly) gone, what’s left is a steadily growing industry of cleaning experts offering their services for pay. Where there’s growth – there’s competition, leading to better prices and services around, just look at the cleaning companies of Glasgow

So do away with the initial thought that you need to have a title or own land to have a professional thoroughly clean your place every once in a while. It’s become so affordable virtually anyone could easily afford it and benefit greatly from it. Expert cleaners know the ins and outs of the cleaning business better than anyone, so the place you’re going to come back to is going to be the best state your house could be in. That’s important not only for your mental well-being, as multiple studies have shown, but also your physical health! 

Also, hiring a cleaning service in Glasgow is likely liable to see you save money in the long run! It seems counterintuitive, but remember, progress is always around the corner, so it makes sense to be surprised by how much things can change. Let’s go with an example: you earn £100 for a day’s work. Cleaning your house well would take about a day. That means the cleaning you’ve done has effectively cost you £100, as well as make you more tired on one of your few off-days. 

Now, say you hired a team of professional cleaners in Glasgow. Given that it’s a team of experienced, trained, insured and overall competent people, they’ll be done with the job much quicker than you would. Besides, you can fully relax, or spend that time on anything else you want, and to boot, they’ve only charged you £50. Now you’re coming back to a fully-cleaned, perfectly healthy home, well-rested and glad. People are naturally loss-averse. However, suppose you see the math behind it. In that case, you can come to understand the real investment you’re making into leading a more intelligent and happy life.

If you’re the type of person that dreads cleaning day, stresses out over the build-up of dust nonetheless or don’t have the time to organize a regular cleaning schedule – this is for you.

So if you’re interested in avoiding the stress of regular cleaning, or don’t like the process as a whole, there’s nothing wrong in hiring a cleaning service to help things along – in fact, it’s recommended. Especially if you’re not a messy person, the cleaning service will be well worth it, as your costs are going to be minimal. Cleanliness is also more likely to be kept longer, as you don’t want to disturb the work that went into it. 

A clean home is vital for your family, but also give you peace of mind if you want to invite people over, or if you’d like to do something else during your days off. No longer is it a dreaded choice you have to make. Now that you know how beneficial it is, you can simply choose to simplify your life and hire a professional cleaning service. Long-term, you’ll see a noticeable improvement in your quality of life. So keep an ear our for referrals, make sure the cleaners are insured and have out the details so you’ll be happy and plan out your future lifestyle of order and tranquillity.