Why Are Nearly 80% of Prohibited CDL Drivers Not Starting the Return-to-Duty Process?
The latest FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse numbers reveal a major challenge facing the trucking industry: 210,007 CDL and CLP drivers were in Prohibited status as of February 1, 2026—and 166,925 of them had not started the Return-to-Duty process. That means 79.5% of currently prohibited drivers had not taken the first steps toward becoming eligible to return to safety-sensitive work. Why are so many CDL drivers not getting started? That was the question I recently sat down to discuss...
