ALARMING numbers of truck drivers are being caught behind the wheel while high on ice, with a record number testing positive to the drug in a police blitz this week.

In just eight days, 30 truck drivers tested positive for having drugs in their system and two-thirds of those were on methamphetamine.

It comes as police figures show the number of motorists testing positive for ice doubled between 2012 and 2014.

Police across the country are cracking down on truck drivers for vehicle compliance and drug and alcohol testing as part of a month-long operation.

They said the number of positive tests was worrying.

media_camera Truck driver take random drug tests during the blitz. He did not test positive.Pictures: Jonathan Ng media_camera A driver takes a random drug test. He did not test positive. Pictures: Jonathan Ng

In the first few minutes of arriving at a police stop in Orchard Hills on Thursday, The Saturday Telegraph witnessed the driver of a 40-tonne vehicle allegedly test positive to methamphetamine.

The driver was banned from driving for 24 hours and his test was sent to a laboratory for further testing. If the lab test returns a positive result, the driver is then issued a court attendance notice and can face a maximum six-month licence suspension and a $2200 fine.

The Traffic and Highway Patrol team, working with the Random Drug Testing Unit, will test anywhere between 30 and 150 drivers in a 10-hour window during the month-long operation.

media_camera A police officer conducts a random drug test during an operation targeting truck drivers on drugs at The Northern Rd, Orchid Hill. Picture: Jonathan Ng

They use oral swabs and a secondary test to detect the presence of methamphetamine, amphetamines and cannabis.

“There’s a whole range of offences,” Senior-Constable Garrett Thebus said during a random truck stop this week.

“Somehow they’ve obtained it, which is an offence. Somehow they’ve administered, which is an offence. I don’t tolerate it, I don’t like drugs. It’s more than unfortunate, it’s dangerous — highly dangerous.”

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Senior-Constable Thebus said police were now carrying out more random drug tests on drivers than ever and drivers often tried to justify positive readings by blaming cold-and-flu tablets.

“We hear everything. You see their head ticking over, they think how can I justify it,” he said.

media_camera Roads and Maritime Inspectors along with police from the Joint Traffic Taskforce inspecting trucks during a blitz in Orchid Hill. Picture: Jonathan Ng

In the same month-long operation carried out last year, 41 drivers tested positive to drugs in NSW. In the first eight days of this year’s operation, police detected a staggering 30 drivers.

Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander Assistant Commissioner John Hartley said there was no excuse for any driver to get behind the wheel affected by drugs.

“Not only are these substances illegal but the consequences of drug-driving could be horrific,” Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.

“If you crash, you or another innocent road user could be injured or killed.

“We make no apologies for targeting drivers who are under the influence of drugs and alcohol, or anyone who shows no respect for their own life or the lives of others.”