Medical Certificates Now Required In CDL Licensing Process

[lunachic]

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Margaret
Date: Dec 2, 2008 11:10 AM

New medical certification requirements for CDL holders in January This rule is effective Jan. 30, 2009. State compliance is required by Jan. 30, 2012. All CDL holders must comply with the requirement to submit to the SDLA their self-certification on whether they are subject to the physical qualification rules by Jan. 30, 2014." The Trucker Staff12/1/2008 Beginning Jan. 30, 2009, new regulations take effect regarding medical certificates and Commercial Driver’s Licenses.In a Final Rule published Dec. 1, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration amended the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to require interstate CDL holders subject to the physical qualification requirements of the FMCSRs to provide a current original or copy of their medical examiner's certificates to their State Driver Licensing Agency (SDLA).The Agency also requires the SDLA to record on the Commercial Driver License Information System (CDLIS) driver record the self-certification the driver made regarding the applicability of the federal driver qualification rules and, for drivers subject to those requirements, the medical certification status information specified in the Final Rule. This rule is effective Jan. 30, 2009. State compliance is required by Jan. 30, 2012. All CDL holders must comply with the requirement to submit to the SDLA their self-certification on whether they are subject to the physical qualification rules by Jan. 30, 2014.Barb Kampbell of The Trucker staff

 

[Mike]

Jami Jones, OOIDA, mentioned this yesterday. Like I responded to her, as if going to the DMV wasn't enough of a hassle already, it is going to be a complete nightmare now. Those places have enough trouble doing things right now, just imagine adding more things on to their responsibilities.

From Land Line:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a final rule that changes the way states must verify the medical certification for truckers either renewing or applying for a CDL. Phased in compliance deadlines for states, motor carriers and truckers start kicking in on Jan. 30, 2012.

Once everything is up and running on the state level, truckers will be required to present either the original or a copy of the current medical examiner’s certificate. The state agency must then date stamp the certification card and return it to the trucker.

The date-stamped card will be sufficient to prove medical certification for 15 days. Within 10 days of stamping the card, the state licensing agency must enter the information into the Commercial Drivers License Information System, according to the new requirement.

States will be required to keep a copy of the stamped card for three years from the date the CDL is issued.

Once the information is entered in the CDLIS system, truckers won’t be required to present the valid medical card for inspections or employment.

Instead, inspectors will have access to the electronic information. Motor carriers won’t even be able to use the medical card anymore to prove a driver’s fitness.

Starting Jan. 30, the motor carriers must keep a copy of the current CDLIS motor vehicle record documenting medical certification status in the driver’s qualification file before allowing the driver behind the wheel.