Unfortunately, insulin dependent diabetes is a medical disqualification. Your condition MUST be stable without insulin for a period of time. I forget how long. It's not real long though. There are diabetic drivers out there. So there are ways around it. They are primarily concerned with keeping dangerous drivers,off the road. It's not personal.
Actually it is not a medical disqualification. In 2003 the FMCSA instituted the Federal Diabetes Exemption Program. A diabetic on insulin could apply for a waiver if he or she passed the DOT physical with an exception of insulin use. They would then need documentation from an endocrinologist and opthamologist stating that they are well controlled and have not had any hypoglycemic episodes, or diabetic retinopathy.
Search for Federal Diabetes Exemption Program and you can read all the particulars.
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
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Hey Everyone!!!
I drove straight trucks for about 15 years for a local municipality. 5 ton dumps, 6 wheelers, snow plowing, hauling crap (literally). I enjoyed it. Then I quit there and have been running my own stone restoration biz and a local marketing biz for the last 14 years.
i decided I need a change. I want to drive the big rigs now. Always wanted to but never got around to it. Only thing slowing me down is the FEDS. I am diabetic and use insulin. They don't like that. I do understand the danger of having someone driving 80,000lbs of machine and passing out due to low blood sugar. So, they are making me jump through the Federal Diabetes Waiver Program hoops. I am hoping it will not get to that as I may be able to drop the insulin for one of the new drugs to recently hit the market next week.
If not, I will post on the progress of the waiver program process just in case there may be others interested in that whole deal.
Thanks for the cool site here BTW!!!
Garrett
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated