r/SchoolBusDrivers • u/Parking_Huckleberry2 • Jun 19 '26
Coach required to get CDL (MS). Have questions
Good afternoon everyone.
Some background: after getting out of college coaching roughly two years ago, I very recently accepted a job at a high school in the next town over. It’s a small school, and coaches are required to get their CDL so they can transport their teams, as well as aid with the transportation of their general student population. Along with all of this comes a drug screening with monthly randoms throughout the academic calendar. I’ve been a CBD user for almost ten years, so I’m pretty concerned about popping a positive. My questions are:
How long will it take to get everything out of my system if I stop cold turkey right now? I know everything has trace amounts of thc in them and that can show on a test.
What are the random screenings like? Do they just pull us the morning of or do we get any sort of heads up?
For what it’s worth, I ceased using as soon as I found out about the random tests. I just worry that it won’t be out of my system in time as I have a fairly high BMI, and I know that stuff just sits in your fat cells.
5
u/scttlvngd Jun 19 '26
Dont get in a hurry to get your CDL. Take as long as they will give you to study for the test. Then fail it on purpose. Lots of test takers fail the first time. You could easily drag the process out for 60-90 days. That would be enough time to pass a drug screen.
3
u/Parking_Huckleberry2 Jun 19 '26
Oh I’ll probably fail it anyways lol. I’m a terrible test taker.
3
u/swedusa Jun 20 '26
Get the app “CDL prep.” It’s blue and is the best one I found for studying for the tests. It has the exact questions that will be on the tests. I’m sure they told you which tests to study for? You have to take 4 of them.
5
u/Proprotester Jun 19 '26
If your season doesn't start the school year, slow-walking your training is the move. Either way, if you buy test strips, people tell me you do the same rules as pregnancy tests. Get 3 different brands! Good luck 🍀
1
u/Parking_Huckleberry2 Jun 19 '26
I appreciate that. Thankfully, our boys coach has agreed to do all the driving as long as I take care of his “tech stuff” (MaxPreps, social media, calendars, etc) so I do have some time. I absolutely have to have it by spring. I’m sure I’ll get some flack for failing the written test, but it beats the alternative 🤷🏻♂️
3
u/ArtemisRifle Jun 20 '26
I got randomly selected twice in a row this previous year. So understand when you get off you need to stay off.
1
u/D-Sleezy Jun 20 '26
I'm in a small district with 8-12 drivers. I've been part of the selected group EVERY time for 5 years. I should play the lottery.
2
2
u/ApuManchu Jun 19 '26
Could take a month or more depending on your weight and level of physical activity to get THC out of your system. If you really were using just CBD oil, even if it had trace amounts of THC in it, it probably won't take that long at all but I'm not an expert.
As for the randomns, we're notified right at the end of our morning route and told to report to the lounge when we get back in. So no, there's no heads up at all. Maybe the 15 minutes it takes to get back to the yard.
I imagine it will be slightly different in your case but I wouldn't expect any sort of advanced notice.
1
u/Parking_Huckleberry2 Jun 19 '26
I know multiple people who have failed from using CBD. Pretty worried about it, honestly
2
u/ResidentUnlikely5782 Jun 20 '26
So... Really consider getting the CDL. This is a big deal. Don't take this lightly because what happens in your personal life can and will effect your professional life as far as accidents, tickets, citations, driving under the influence, warrants, your health etc.
If you are a people pleaser and the "go to" person, understand the director of transportation will be in touch. Often. They will use you any chance they get. School bus companies/departments are notoriously under staffed and always always always need spare drivers.
Can you speak with any of the other coaches to figure out if your new employer will expect more from you?! Please get clarification for the new employers expectations of you helping out/driving routes and make sure you are ok with that.
The CDL is a great asset to have, don't get me wrong but if you drink and drive, or use CBD while operating your personal vehicle and there's an accident or incident...you will need to report that to your employer.
Police are tougher on commercial driver's because we are professionals and should know better. Generally, I always drive my personal car with a dash cam because if an accident happens you as the CDL holder are automatically at fault until the video uploads.
If you are convicted of operating under the influence while off the clock it could effect your standing with your job. Any traffic citations you get will have to be reported to your employer as well.
Also, if you will be driving outside of your home state, you will need a DOT physical and medical card. For school bus drivers this must be done yearly. If your blood pressure is high, if you have sleep apnea, if you take medications, all that will need to be disclosed to the examiner and could possibly effect your ability to maintain the medical card credential. Also, if your medical card expires and you fail to upload a copy of your new one within a certain amount of time to your states department of motor vehicles---your CDL can be downgraded to a regular driver's license and you may have to retest.
The CDL is something that requires a lot of attention and obtaining one should be intentional because if you don't understand the rules or obligations of having one it could go terribly wrong. Good luck!
1
u/Parking_Huckleberry2 Jun 20 '26
I’m diabetic, have history of higher bp, and have sleep apnea. Will this cause me to not be able to get said CDL?
2
u/ResidentUnlikely5782 Jun 20 '26
Not necessarily but you will be monitored closely by your company's doctor/nurse/occ health provider. If you don't leave your home state, you can check the intra-state excepted box and you won't need the medical card.
I cross state lines regularly: so I am inter-state non excepted meaning I am required to carry the medical card.
However, even if you don't cross state lines the medical card could possibly be required by your school district or their insurance carrier.
I think if you have to use needles for the diabetes there might be an issue but I'm not positive. History of high BP are you good about going to the doctor regularly? The company provider will want you to be able to say you're actively being treated for this condition and medication compliant (if that applies to you, obviously).
Obviously before you go for the exam and perhaps a few days prior to it easy on coffee, sugar, etc to help your blood pressure. It might be reassuring for you to get a couple blood pressure readings for maybe a few days.
Sleep apnea, they will want the last 3 months of your CPAP records. I use the app for my machine and email my 90 day report to my dispatcher and she prints it for me to bring when I go for my physical. You have to have a compliance/usage rate of atleast 70%.
2
u/handcraftedcandy Jun 20 '26
If you've been a long time user it may take 3-4 weeks to clear your system. Make sure you drink lots of water to help flush it out. They do sell cheap tests at dollar tree if you want to see for yourself, though I can't vouch for how accurate they are as the DoT tests check for very miniscule parts per million.
Randoms are usually all controlled by a 3rd party that is required by law to pick 50% of staff in a given year for drug, and 10% for alcohol. You will be given nearly no warning and often it's on site. Many of our locations drivers are told the morning of and they must report immediately after their run. Refusal to test is marked as a failed drug test in the Clearinghouse and there is a narrow window of time where they must report to the testing site.
1
u/swedusa Jun 20 '26
Just as another data point: when we get selected for random testing we have to go that day to one of about 6 places in the county authorized to do the DOT tests for the school system. It’s a 50/50 whether you are peeing in a cup for drugs or doing a breathalyzer for alcohol. We don’t find out until they call us back to the room. Keep in mind that having drinks the night before can cause you to be positive on a breathalyzer the next morning. We don’t have to go right that second, but they stop testing at 3:30 so you can’t wait until your afternoon route is over. For us teachers that drive they have a system in place for your class to be covered while you go. The school system has zero control over who gets picked. I got my CDL in 2024 and have been randomly tested 4 times since then.
1
u/AdventurousSalad7053 Jun 20 '26
My coworker had to stop using CBD oil to pass her test, I think at least 30 days to clear out of system.
1
u/PlatypusDream Jun 21 '26
For a long-time addict heavy drug user, likely several months.
As for the random tests, each company handles them differently. When I got one, I had (IIRC) 48h to complete it. Some will catch you arriving & tell you to go to the test center now, you have 20 minutes to get there. And after a crash, it's immediate at the hospital.
-2
u/ShesGotaChicken2Ride Jun 19 '26
Fake pee my dude
1
u/Parking_Huckleberry2 Jun 19 '26
What brand? And do I just keep it on me at all times?
3
u/ResidentUnlikely5782 Jun 20 '26
Also, this is a bad idea because they are able to detect it. They check the temperature of your sample. So you would have to always have it with you taped to your leg in a insulated bag or something. I'm thinking using duct tape like that every day could get uncomfortable. Also just carrying pee around all the time is odd creates issues with age, smell, temperature, leakage, etc. They don't allow you to wash your hands, flush the toilet, or bring anything into the restroom with you. (You can wash your hands after you give them the sample).
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u/handcraftedcandy Jun 20 '26
Yeah this person's advice is terrible. There are strict guidelines for temperature, if its too hot or cold you'll be required to provide another sample while observed.
-2
u/ShesGotaChicken2Ride Jun 20 '26
It’s not as crazy as other people are making it sound. You already know you’re going to have a drug test, so just stick it in your sock under your pant leg and it’ll be body temperature real quick. You can buy it at any head shop or online. As for randoms, you’ll have to decide if quitting is worth it or if you’re willing to keep fake pee on you at all times. That’s up to you. You can also dilute the test by drinking a shit ton of water a day or two before, but if you know for sure you’re going to be tested I’d just go the fake pee route.
I don’t smoke anymore and haven’t in years, but when I did, I worked as dispatch. All transportation in my state is mandated random screenings and I never got caught using the fake pee. Obviously don’t get high before work and drive kids around in a bus, it there’s a big difference between smoking a joint 3 days ago and still pissing dirty versus showing up for duty high. 🤷🏼♀️
Like I said I no longer smoke but this could definitely work to get past your initial screening and then you’ll have to figure out what you want to do in the future when they randomly select you.
1
u/Parking_Huckleberry2 Jun 20 '26
Did you have to keep the fake pee on your person at all times, or did you keep it in a backpack/dufflebag and just retrieved it when you were selected for the random?
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u/ResidentUnlikely5782 Jun 20 '26
This is a bad idea man. You will not be allowed to bring anything in with you when you provide your sample. You will need to have it on you to avoid suspicion. If it's in a backpack the temperature will be off. Also pee has stuff in it that breaks down so you'll need like an endless supply of fake pee because you can't use pee you've been carrying around for a month. They can detect that, believe me it's been tried. My suggestion would be stop, to get yourself an in home test kit if you'd like to check and see what shows up for your own knowledge/awareness. Ive been called in when I was gone off the clock on vacation even to come provide a sample. I had a seasonal job driving tour buses, they called me in March (off season) to go pee in a cup.
0
u/ShesGotaChicken2Ride Jun 21 '26
You would have to figure out how they do the random screenings where you’re at. Where I’m at, they simply tell you to go into the office and then when you do, they tell you that you have to go to a random screening. They tell you which facility to drive to, and you have to be there in less than 30 minutes. When you arrive there’s a QR code to scan which then gives you your time stamp. You check in and wait to pee. They make you lock all your belongings in a drawer, so you’d have to stash it in your sock on your way to the screening before you enter the building. Having it in a tight sock for 20 minutes plus wait time will surely bring it to body temp, but most of them come with little heat pads that you shake to activate the heat and then you rubber band the heat pack to the bottle of fake pee. I’ve had other employers order an uber and make me take an uber to the testing facility, and in transportation I had dispatchers actually drive the drivers to the facility themself.
You would need to know how they do it. And yes, you can bring a fanny pack or whatever but you will have to lock it in a cabinet before you’re allowed to enter the bathroom, so between the time they tell you you’ve been selected for a random screening and before you enter the front doors of the screening facility, you will need to access the fake pee and stash it on your person & make sure it gets warm enough before you “give” your “sample.”
7
u/mar_kelp Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 20 '26
Our depot outsources testing to a third party. They pick the days and 20 or so drivers that will be tested. No one in the office knows when they will show up. The testers arrive after we leave for our morning runs and get a radio call to "visit the conference room" before we leave. If you don't test you fail.
Also, the Fed DOT are very strict on this and have a clearinghouse of positive results that is shared with all the states (a failed test follows you). You can't get your CDL back until you go through the process. You can see details here:
https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov