Agility Test
- Thread starter DJMcGett
- Start date
Mr. Q
Silent Observer
My current and last employer required some sort of agility test to be performed by the potential newhire as part of the hiring process. I had to walk a steady and continuous pace on a treadmill for three minutes, lift a box with 50 pounds worth of weights from the ground to about shoulder height while demonstrating proper ergonomics and lifting techniques for a set interval usually determined by the examiner. Another part of the exam required me to lift the box of weights, and walk a certain distance across one end of a room to the other several times. Blood pressures were taken to make sure that my heart was beating normally in between the circuits.
The point of these tests is to determine if you have joint problems, pain in your joints, back problems, high blood pressure, and minimal issues with flexibility while you work. My current company has several accounts that require the drivers to assist the store managers with offloading freight from the trailer piece by piece from the trailer to a storeroom, so having decent health is paramount to the company. It would be embarrasing for both the driver and the company if the driver was suddenly injured while lifting a box or two.
There is also much buzz going around about some companies that require a driver to perform a "duck walk": You would start in the standing position, and then squat to the ground....your feet should be supporting your body....and then without falling over or touching the ground with your hands, you would then walk a short distance. The test is completely stupid, and I have yet to see a driver perform the duckwalk in real-world application settings in the trucking community. If I needed to get from one side of my trailer to another, then I would simply just walk around.
Lastly, just stay in shape. No one has to be a gym rat, but never get to the point where you're out of breath from small laborous tasks, or you suddenly pulled a muscle due to inactivity. Get out if the truck, stretch, walk around, check out the sights and sounds, etc. We have a sedentary occupation, but only one body. So, yeah. Many companies will want you to take some sort of rigorous agility and maybe a stress test.
The point of these tests is to determine if you have joint problems, pain in your joints, back problems, high blood pressure, and minimal issues with flexibility while you work. My current company has several accounts that require the drivers to assist the store managers with offloading freight from the trailer piece by piece from the trailer to a storeroom, so having decent health is paramount to the company. It would be embarrasing for both the driver and the company if the driver was suddenly injured while lifting a box or two.
There is also much buzz going around about some companies that require a driver to perform a "duck walk": You would start in the standing position, and then squat to the ground....your feet should be supporting your body....and then without falling over or touching the ground with your hands, you would then walk a short distance. The test is completely stupid, and I have yet to see a driver perform the duckwalk in real-world application settings in the trucking community. If I needed to get from one side of my trailer to another, then I would simply just walk around.
Lastly, just stay in shape. No one has to be a gym rat, but never get to the point where you're out of breath from small laborous tasks, or you suddenly pulled a muscle due to inactivity. Get out if the truck, stretch, walk around, check out the sights and sounds, etc. We have a sedentary occupation, but only one body. So, yeah. Many companies will want you to take some sort of rigorous agility and maybe a stress test.
cajuntrucker59
Well Known Smart Azz
Yes! You have to run the 40 yard dash in under 5 seconds! :happyfeet:
Mr. Q
Silent Observer
Training for those who forget to set their brakes! "Hey, is that your truck rolling down the street?"
"Oh crap!!!" (then rapidly sprints to truck to open the door and set the brakes......)
Hey I also have another question. I am somewhat overweight (a work in progress) I recently joined a 24 hour gym and hitting it up every night after work for the past week. I was wondering how important is BMI to pass the D.O.T physical these day? The reason why I asked is because in 2003 USA Truck send me home because of my BMI is off the charts.
patriciajnsn
Steering Wheel Holder
Good for you joining a gym.With the CSA already in progress it may be difficult finding a trucking job if you're too much overweight.
cajuntrucker59
Well Known Smart Azz
Looks like you just answered your own question here big guy! Good luck with the 24 hour fitness thing! :weightlifter:
When I was with Swift, they did do the work well physical but they didn't do anything with my BMI.
Sinister
pari animositate
Here are some things you should not do before or during your agility test:
View attachment 3460
You should not bring a briefcase that's too heavy, it may cause you to tip to one side, and drop your light brown thing from your other hand. This will cause you to fail the agility test.
View attachment 3461
You should NOT walk around with the word "FAIL" hovering above your head. It may make you fall down at exactly at the wrong time, in the vicinity of railroad tracks and may destroy any vegetation your are carrying, thus causing you to fail the agility test.
View attachment 3462
You should not be a disgusting, traitorous communist sympathizer married to a media mogul. I dunno...I googled "retard+fall" and she came up...
View attachment 3463
Lastly, do NOT try to enhance your agility by feeding on a urinal cake. Everyone knows they work best as a super viagra. Taking a super viagra right before an agility test may throw off your balance. I know it would mine...
Best of luck, and hope this helps.
Keep us posted!
View attachment 3460View attachment 3461View attachment 3462View attachment 3463
View attachment 3460
You should not bring a briefcase that's too heavy, it may cause you to tip to one side, and drop your light brown thing from your other hand. This will cause you to fail the agility test.
View attachment 3461
You should NOT walk around with the word "FAIL" hovering above your head. It may make you fall down at exactly at the wrong time, in the vicinity of railroad tracks and may destroy any vegetation your are carrying, thus causing you to fail the agility test.
View attachment 3462
You should not be a disgusting, traitorous communist sympathizer married to a media mogul. I dunno...I googled "retard+fall" and she came up...
View attachment 3463
Lastly, do NOT try to enhance your agility by feeding on a urinal cake. Everyone knows they work best as a super viagra. Taking a super viagra right before an agility test may throw off your balance. I know it would mine...
Best of luck, and hope this helps.
Keep us posted!
View attachment 3460View attachment 3461View attachment 3462View attachment 3463
Sinister, thanks for the tip. I'm gonna google retard fall and see what I come up with.
Mr. Q
Silent Observer
BMI (Body Mass Index for those who are "Acronymally Challenged" and loathes acronyms just like me) plays an important role due to this one reality: That nasty little thing called "sleep apnea". Overweight and morbidly obese people are looked down upon and are usually targeted, especially in the trucking industry by the highway safety committee for having sleep apnea. The reason why this reality is unfair? That's just like assuming that all overweight people eat fast food everyday. Unfortunately, overweight people have to deal with this stereotype in a world where many people are either just ignorant, stupid, or a combination of both. The mindset from skinnier people usually falls somewhere along these lines: "Hey hey, if you eat less and move around more then you will magically lose weight!" It's not that easy, especially for those whose body types fall into the "endomorph" category such as myself, but that's information for a different thread. (Self righteous twigs **** me off to no extent with their over-abundance of ignorance.)
Okay, back to the topic. I'll keep this short and sweet: As mentioned above, drivers with (1) a high BMI index are (2) viewed as a risk for (3) sleep apnea. A driver that spends most of his time (4) snoring, tossing, and turning while asleep is not (5) getting the proper restorative "REM" sleep that many people require in order to have a refreshing nights sleep so that they are fully alert and full of energy for the day ahead of them.
So, let me stress that again. If you're not getting the proper sleep due to snoring, then as a "professional" truck driver you will not be alert for the next stressful day of driving. Have you ever felt like you ran a triathlon after waking up from your 8-10 hour slumber? It's possible that you may have sleep apnea. This is a red-flag in this industry due to the fact that once a driver falls asleep behind the wheel of his rig, then he has just become an 80,000 pound un-guided missile. That is "bad ju-ju".
When I applied for Prime, they sent drivers home whose BMI is over 37 (I think that's the number, but don't quote me on this 100%). One can't really argue with company policy, and I don't totally disagree with Prime's hiring requirement as far as having a BMI below 37. Thankfully, many companies have not implemented similar hiring requirements......yet!
So, stay active! Your life and your livelihood depends on how well you take care of yourself.
R
Racer X 69
Guest
I didn't know that any trucking companies had their own doctors. Don't they usually leave the physical exam up to the choice of the applicant?
I have always chosen the physician that performs all exams that I am subjected to. In all the physicals I have ever had only a couple of times have I had to perform any kind of agility testing. Pretty basic stuff. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, hold your arms out to the sides, close your eyes, lift one leg, then the other, tip your head back, etc.
If you don't loose your balance and fall down, you're good to go.
As far as the BMI thing goes, eat more veggies, stay away from the greasy fried garbage from the hot deli case, and park way out on the back row at the truck stop.
lunachic
BITE ME !
Wonder which is paying the kick back?
countryboy
windsheld chipper
R
Racer X 69
Guest
countryboy
windsheld chipper
Too funny racer! BTW, that's my ex in the poster, and you almost ended up owing me a new keyboard! I'll learn not to take a drink of tea as I'm opening a link!
R
Racer X 69
Guest
You're welcome.
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