New DOT Physical Requirements

kickin chicken

Batteries Not Included
The mission of the Office of Medical
Programs is to promote the safety of
America's roadways through the
promulgation and implementation of medical
regulations, guidelines and policies that
ensure commercial motor vehicle drivers
engaged in interstate commerce are
physically qualified to do so.
Vision Statement - All bus and truck
drivers are healthy, safe and medically fit to
drive. Everyone - drivers, medical
examiners, bus and truck companies and
the public - understands and values the
importance of driver health and wellness,
and our safety regulations, policies and
programs.
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/medical.htm
 
the link isnt really there. heres my story on dot and health regs. earlier this week i lost my job because they said according 2 regs im obese and need a sleep apnea test and company will not pay for the test. first, 3months ago i changed jobs and maxed the bathroom scale they weighed me on in orientation. it appeared 310lbs on the dial. doc wrote 320 and meassured my neck. "your neck is one inch too big." they gave me a 3month card and wrote on the long form "needs sleep test" and said "im only doing this cause i cant get yur weight. if u come back and i can get yur weight or if u get tested yur ok." this was a lie. i drove 3months and when i returned at 289lbs but they said yur still obese. you need to be 272lbs. a sleep apnea test is like $3000 and i know theres hidden costs and probably tax. the cheepest i found was $900 BEING REFERRED BY THIS DOCTOR. my question is does anyone know if this reg is only for big trucks? im in need of a job now and maybe a box truck is still an option?
 
He can't get a DOT medical card unless he passes the sleep study (or gets a CPAP machine)...
He would have to check with companies that use smaller boxed trucks, vans (expedite)...if they are compliant with DOT requirements then he will have to be as well.
 
I'm just saying that as far as I know, they have only proposed the sleep apnea thing, it has never been made law. I don't believe so anyway. If I am wrong, I am sure someone will put up the appropriate proof in here though.
 
I'm just saying that as far as I know, they have only proposed the sleep apnea thing, it has never been made law. I don't believe so anyway. If I am wrong, I am sure someone will put up the appropriate proof in here though.

Is Sleep Apnea disqualifying?
Drivers should be disqualified until the
diagnosis of sleep apnea has been ruled out
or has been treated successfully. As a
condition of continuing qualification, it is
recommended that a CMV driver agree to
continue uninterrupted therapy such as
CPAP, etc. / monitoring and undergo
objective testing as required.
A driver with a diagnosis of (probable)
sleep apnea or a driver who has
Excessive Daytime Somnolence(EDS) should
be temporarily disqualified until the condition
is either ruled out by objective testing or
successfully treated.
Narcolepsy and sleep apnea account for
about 70% of EDS. EDS lasting from a few
days to a few weeks should not limit a
driver’s ability in the long run. However,
persistent or chronic sleep disorders
causing EDS can be a significant risk to the
driver and the public. The examiner should
consider general certification criteria at the
initial and follow-up examinations:
Severity and frequency of EDS
Presence or absence of warning of
attacks
Possibility of sleep during driving
Degree of symptomatic relief with
treatment
Compliance with treatment.
www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/medical/faqs.aspx

Just Sayin' :)
 
They ask about sleep apnea in the DOT Physical questionnaire, now. If you tell 'em you're having the symptoms, you may be screwed. If you don't tell 'em they have no evidence to rely on.
 
All he needs to do is go clinic shopping, they have no national database set up yet(thank God) so nobody will be the wiser. I have a friend who is a diabetic, gets his prescriptions and check ups at one clinic, next town over he gets his 2 year d.o.t. done.
 
It makes me wonder when someone gets to 300 lbs. Unless you are 7 feet tall you shouldn't weigh that much. And when a person is that much overweight, it causes a myriad of health problems.

The extra weight is hard on the joints and bones. The cardiovascular system suffers greatly because it was not designed to provide circulation for that kind of extra weight.

I know it is difficult for us to keep our weight in check when we spend 11 hours a day sitting on our ass. But no one ties us to the feedbag either, and no one forces us to make poor choices with regard to proper diet.

And the sleep apnea is a symptom of morbid obesity.

Unfortunately the FMCSR does not require employers to pay for physicals or special tests such as sleep studies.

And the FMCSR also permits employers to have tougher health standards, and require tests above and beyond those required by the fed.

So it is the best interest of each and every one of us to look after our own health, exercise, eat right, and choose to be healthy.
 
All he needs to do is go clinic shopping, they have no national database set up yet(thank God) so nobody will be the wiser. I have a friend who is a diabetic, gets his prescriptions and check ups at one clinic, next town over he gets his 2 year d.o.t. done.

I get my DOTs done at the clinic in the town my company is in. Everything else, back home. But I only do it that way because it doesn't come out of my home time that way. If I'm running around doing work-related stuff during my home time, I'm not happy.
 
Weight can become an issue out here as we all know. When I started driving I was 220, that was 8 years ago. Two years ago I got on a scale and was 297.3!!!! I adjusted my eating and walk everyday weather it's raining, snowing or whatever and today I'm 185. I was more nervous about developing type 2 diabetes than anything cause according to my Dr. I was borderline, but I can attest to the issues this job can have with weight gain. Also I'm not 7 foot I'm 6'2". I came from a job with a lot of physical labor working in a steel mill and I was burning enough calories to support my eating habits. When I got into driving obviously my eating got a little worse and I wasn't burning nearly as many calories.
I hope that driver is successful getting back on the road and even more importantly I hope he can get his health issues in order too.
 
Weight can become an issue out here as we all know. When I started driving I was 220, that was 8 years ago. Two years ago I got on a scale and was 297.3!!!! I adjusted my eating and walk everyday weather it's raining, snowing or whatever and today I'm 185.

Very good. We should all follow your lead!

I bet you feel much better now too.
 
It makes me wonder when someone gets to 300 lbs. Unless you are 7 feet tall you shouldn't weigh that much. And when a person is that much overweight, it causes a myriad of health problems.

The extra weight is hard on the joints and bones. The cardiovascular system suffers greatly because it was not designed to provide circulation for that kind of extra weight.

I know it is difficult for us to keep our weight in check when we spend 11 hours a day sitting on our ass. But no one ties us to the feedbag either, and no one forces us to make poor choices with regard to proper diet.

And the sleep apnea is a symptom of morbid obesity.

Unfortunately the FMCSR does not require employers to pay for physicals or special tests such as sleep studies.

And the FMCSR also permits employers to have tougher health standards, and require tests above and beyond those required by the fed.

So it is the best interest of each and every one of us to look after our own health, exercise, eat right, and choose to be healthy.


Because of the meds the V.A. Docs had me on, within a little over a year I went from 230 to 315. I quit taking them, I was going to blow up. They changed the prescription, not as effective but I quit looking like a balloon, back to 270 and fading. It definitely ain't coming off as fast as it went on.
 
actually 300+ really didnt feel terrible. i had no idea cause i didnt feel that heavy. i really didnt notice much difference as last week i scaled still over 300 and my friend said he had a colonic when he had his hernia operation and lost 10lbs. they say the average person loses 10-15. i felt a real change after that. and people always said you dont even look that heavy. someone poisoned me in the early 90's and i had an operation for a gangreen apendix. they gave me 3 or 4 surgeries cause i kept getting absesses. maybe something didnt heal straight? maybe had a kink in there and was hold more back than the average person?. anyway im still trying 2 find out is that only for tractor trailers about the weight issue. thnx
 
And the sleep apnea is a symptom of morbid obesity.

well not all sleep apea is caused by obesity, I have sleep apnea and was told by the DR. who tested me that it is in my bain. Something suts my o2 off
 

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