TDDA

The truth about oral fluid testing

There is a lot of misinformation about oral fluid testing. I’m going to talk about three court cases that could help trucking businesses understand what it is, and ensure they stay compliant, keep employees safe, and keep fleets rolling.

Oral fluid testing can replace urine testing (Endeavour Energy vs CEPU and Ors)

In this 2020 decision, the Australian Fair Work Commission (FWC) ruled that the detection of cannabis and other drugs could not be reliably addressed with only oral fluid testing. It noted complete reliance on oral fluid testing could mean a person going undetected as a regular user of drugs, especially cannabis.

Oral fluid testing is better at testing for “P” (Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union vs BM Alliance Coal)

BM Alliance won the right to use urine testing in the Supreme Court of Australia. It deemed oral fluid sampling inadequate to detect methamphetamine use. This is critical, considering the prevalence of “P” in New Zealand.

Depending on the drug taken, oral fluid testing also provides less accurate results and tests for fewer substances. It is poor at identifying cannabis, “P”, benzodiazepines, and synthetic substances. Urine testing reliably tests for all these and more.

Employees should choose their testing method, and businesses should focus on impairment (Arnott’s Biscuits Ltd vs United Voice)

Arnott’s introduced a new drug and alcohol policy that relied on urinalysis and was served a lawsuit. The FWC ruled that choosing the testing method “is a reasonable exercise of an employer’s right to manage its business…” It further added that identifying chronic, regular drug use fits within the purview of an employer’s health and safety requirements.

When it comes to keeping people safe, businesses can choose the method of testing and more reliable testing measures – such as urine testing – and consider chronic drug use a health and safety issue.

Shifting drug testing to only oral fluid testing does not keep workplaces safe, and here’s the big takeaway for trucking companies – if you want to keep people safe, urinalysis or a blended testing programme are your only choices. 

TDDA is a drug and alcohol workplace testing leader with more than 65 locations throughout Australasia. Visit tdda.com Kirk Hardy, CEO, TDDA.

WHICH VAN WOULD YOU RATHER ATTEND YOUR WORKPLACE?

The risks and effects of illicit and misused drugs & alcohol in the workplace cost businesses through injuries, downtime and lost productivity. Call TDDA today and we will work with you to develop an effective drug & alcohol management programme.

TRUCKERS’ HEALTH

Truckin’ easy ways to eat healthy out on the road

Sometimes eating healthily can be a mission, especially when you work crazy and unpredictable hours, and spend a good part of your day behind the wheel of a truck. But never fear, I am here to help with a few tips and suggestions to create simple and healthy meals to take out on the road.

Breakfast

Depending on what time your day begins, your breakfast could be eaten scarily early, mid-morning, or just whenever you can stomach it. Whatever your breakfast time, here are options to line your tummy for the day.

Option 1

Rolled oats/Weetbix, yoghurt, blueberries and banana (you could add your favourite nuts and seeds to the mix too). If you use protein powder, you could also mix a few spoonfuls of protein powder into your oats. If you don’t have time to enjoy a bowl of oats, you can simply pop the ingredients into a blender and have a delicious smoothie instead.

Option 2

Omelette/scrambled eggs. Depending on how much time you have, you can throw in your favourite veggies such as mushrooms, capsicum, onion, tomato and spinach, with two or three eggs. If you are really time-poor, you can simply microwave your eggs rather than cooking them in a frying pan. They’re not quite as tasty, but it is a real time saver.

Lunch

Option 1

Wrap or sandwich. Choose your favourite meat, or use leftover meat from dinner and add all the veggies you like – lettuce, tomato, cucumber – and add a small amount of your favourite spread like mayonnaise or aioli. There’s nothing wrong with using condiments as long as you keep the portion to a minimum (one or two teaspoons).

Option 2

Leftovers. Purposely cook a bit too much for dinner, it makes a great lunch for the next day and it’s ready to go.

Snacks

For all those times where you feel peckish but it’s too early for lunch or dinner. You need something small to tide you over and hopefully prevent you from pulling into that bakery for a pie or Chelsea bun.

Option 1

Boiled eggs. Boil up a few eggs in the morning or the night before. They’re an easy snack and high in protein, which will keep you full and tide you over to dinnertime.

Option 2

Nuts and fruit. Simple, easy, and wide in variety. The only thing to watch out for is to choose real fruit rather than dried or processed fruits because they are high in sugar. With the nuts, just keep it to a handful because they can cause a bit of a calorie blowout. An apple or a pear with a handful of cashews or Brazil nuts would be a great option.

Option 3

Corn thins/rice crackers. Let’s face it, corn thins and rice crackers are basically just edible plates. You can put an abundance of different toppings on them including tomato, cottage cheese, avocado, peanut butter, hummus, cheese, or tuna. They’re nice and light but a great source of carbohydrate because they shouldn’t leave you feeling overly full and lethargic like a pie or sausage roll might.

Dinner

Dinners don’t have to be overly complicated or gourmet. Personally, I am home late three nights a week so my dinners are literally just filling a gap rather than being a wondrous taste explosion. The concept and structure of dinner is very straightforward – protein and vegetables and a small amount of carbohydrates if you desire. Here are a few examples and ideas for you.

Option 1

Chicken stir fry. Use 200g of chicken breast and a good selection of your favourite vegetables. If you’re extra hungry, you could add half a cup of rice. Make sure you use seasoning, spices and a wee bit of a condiment like sweet chilli sauce or soy sauce to add flavour to the meal. Again, condiments are totally fine as long as you manage the amount you’re using and don’t drown every single meal in mayonnaise.

Option 2

Steak and homemade chips. Again, 200g of good-quality steak, two potatoes cut into wedges and baked in the oven with a bit of seasoning and a few tablespoons of olive oil. Steak and chips is a classic trucker’s meal, but it can be made so much more healthily at home with your own ingredients and without a deep-fryer. I would add some greens, which can be some broccoli, beans or peas, or a delicious combo of them all. It always feels better when you include greens in your dinners.

Give some of these meal options and ideas a go and see how you can simplify the way you prepare and eat meals out on the road. It doesn’t have to be complicated or up to Gordon Ramsay’s standards to be healthy. 

Laura Peacock Personal trainer TCA Fitness Club

Ethan Lewer

– Paengaroa Road Haulage (PRH)

Ethan Lewer and his business partner Matt Spratt joined forces in 2016 to found Paengaroa Road Haulage (PRH) and the business has mushroomed since then.

PRH is based between Papamoa and Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty, and Ethan says they will cart “pretty much anything” all around the country. The business has three divisions – containers, curtainsiders and bulk tip trucks. They are heavily involved in the kiwifruit industry, carting containers, kiwifruit pallets to the port and bin fruit to packhouses. “I started a long time ago with one truck. Matt and I met about five years ago and started together with the one truck. Now we’re up to 23 trucks. “I’d always liked trucks and started out driving, but I always wanted to own my own truck and have a crack on my own. I guess you could say I chased it, and Matt super-charged it (the business).” With a complimentary skill set, Ethan and Matt make a formidable team. The pair are 50/50 owners of PRH and Ethan explains he brought the passion for trucking, while Matt’s skills and expertise in business helped them grow. “I look after the bulk trucks and general things, making stuff happen more or less. I still get out and do a bit of driving from time to time.” Ethan says the PRH point of difference is reliability, and quality gear. “We don’t let anyone down and run good gear - everything is up to scratch and looked after. Our drivers are a great bunch of guys and we can rely on them to get the job done. Without your team you’re had it, in my eyes.” PRH has been using MyTrucking for about four years. “Since expanding and getting more trucks, we couldn’t do without MyTrucking. We couldn’t do paper, it just wouldn’t work. With 23 trucks doing 70-80 loads a day it would be damn near impossible to keep track of it all.” Ethan’s favourite feature is the reporting section, being able to see how the trucks are performing, for example the kilometre rate per truck. He also likes that client details and job histories are captured, meaning drivers can liaise directly with farmers. “It simplifies things and saves me a whole lot of time.”

Favourite truck?

Kenworth through and through.

Favourite place to get a pie?

I’ve gone away from pies. For me, it’s the coffee van at the Otamarakau rest area. She’s there early in the morning and supports the truckers really well. She keeps all the boys fuelled up.

Favourite MyTrucking feature?

The reporting.

Favourite trucking route?

For me, the South Island is pretty cool. But probably the Napier-Taupo Road, there’s something about that road. Anywhere there’s no traffic is good!

Favourite gearbox?

Standard manual 18-Speed Roadranger.

“Matt and I met about five years ago and started together with the one truck. Now we’re up to 23 trucks.”