DOT Physical
Topic 10875 | Page 1
Other than the health issues, I think I would be fine on everything else. My employment history should be more than sufficient, my driving record is excellent other than a deer I hit on the highway a couple years ago, no criminal history and no DUI's. My main concern are the 2 stents I have and the sleep apnea diagnosis. Should I just stop now and forget this dream about trying to drive a truck or is it worth pursuing? Any help you guys could provide would be much appreciated. This site is extremely informative and I have enjoyed reading the ups and downs of the life of a truck driver. Many thanks in advance, keep up the good work and most of all, stay safe!
Regarding sleep apnea, you should be ok because of the diagnosis and treatment, although you will need to disclose it. The 2 stents is another issue but not one that should prevent you from pursuing this.
Click on this FMCSA DOT link for specifics:
Can I drive a commercial vehicle after having angioplasty/stents inserted into my heart?
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
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
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
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?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
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.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DUI:
Driving Under the Influence
We have a ton of great information in our wiki:
We have our DOT Physical Page
Then we have various subtopics off that, including:
- Blood Pressure
- DOT Alcohol and Drug Policies & Testing
- DOT Physical - Driver Exemptions
- Eye Exam
- Hair Follicle vs. Urinalysis Drug Testing: Breakdown By Company
- Hearing Test
- Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Guidelines & Advice
- Sleep Apnea
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
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.
Hypertension:
Abnormally high blood pressure.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
Other than the health issues, I think I would be fine on everything else. My employment history should be more than sufficient, my driving record is excellent other than a deer I hit on the highway a couple years ago, no criminal history and no DUI's. My main concern are the 2 stents I have and the sleep apnea diagnosis. Should I just stop now and forget this dream about trying to drive a truck or is it worth pursuing? Any help you guys could provide would be much appreciated. This site is extremely informative and I have enjoyed reading the ups and downs of the life of a truck driver. Many thanks in advance, keep up the good work and most of all, stay safe!
Regarding sleep apnea, you should be ok because of the diagnosis and treatment, although you will need to disclose it. The 2 stents is another issue but not one that should prevent you from pursuing this.
Click on this FMCSA DOT link for specifics:
Can I drive a commercial vehicle after having angioplasty/stents inserted into my heart?
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
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
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
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?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
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.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DUI:
Driving Under the Influence
I had a medical examiner require that I take a stress test over a heart related issue that I had over 20 years ago. The FMCSA leaves it up to the medical examiner. Have you had a stress test lately?
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
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
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
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?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Thank you G-Town and Greg M. for the info. It's been a few years since I have had stress test but the times I've had them in the past, I have always done fine with them. In both cases with the stents, all tests that were done showed no signs of trouble and it wasn't till they went in and did an angiogram that blockage was discovered. Basically I was proactive because of chest pressure I was experiencing at the time. It's something I try to keep a close eye on due to a family history of heart disease but I just don't want to waste my time and/or money pursuing something that may likely be out of reach for me. Again, thanks for the info guys.
Thank you G-Town and Greg M. for the info. It's been a few years since I have had stress test but the times I've had them in the past, I have always done fine with them. In both cases with the stents, all tests that were done showed no signs of trouble and it wasn't till they went in and did an angiogram that blockage was discovered. Basically I was proactive because of chest pressure I was experiencing at the time. It's something I try to keep a close eye on due to a family history of heart disease but I just don't want to waste my time and/or money pursuing something that may likely be out of reach for me. Again, thanks for the info guys.
Best of luck to you!
It's not hard to find a Dr.on the DOT registry in your area. Get a DOT physical. And study your states DMV book and get your permit and go from there.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
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.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
We have a ton of great information in our wiki:
We have our DOT Physical Page
Then we have various subtopics off that, including:
- Blood Pressure
- DOT Alcohol and Drug Policies & Testing
- DOT Physical - Driver Exemptions
- Eye Exam
- Hair Follicle vs. Urinalysis Drug Testing: Breakdown By Company
- Hearing Test
- Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Guidelines & Advice
- Sleep Apnea
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
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.
Hypertension:
Abnormally high blood pressure.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
Only part of the physical I am worried about is the fact that I am 5'5" 230lbs. Other than that my bp is perfect, and I do not snore. I'm just fat
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Hey guys. I'm exploring the possibility of getting into the trucking industry. Just a quick history on myself - I was employed for the last 30 years in the printing industry. I started as a pressman at the age of 19 and worked my way up to Supervisor and held that position for the last 20 years. The facility I worked for recently shut down and I found myself unemployed for the first time in my life. I have been unemployed for about 5 months now and after long and hard deliberation, I have decided I know longer want to be in production management. Even though I have had numerous offers and would likely have no issue finding employment in a similar area, there are just too many aspects I disliked about my job. Hiring and firing, employee evaluations, disciplinary actions, OSHA regulations etc etc. Throw into it being stuck in the same building for 30 years with no windows and I just can't bring myself to go back into that kind of situation again. I want to be on my own so to speak and only worry about doing my job instead of worrying about getting chewed out for the mistakes that one my 65 direct reports made. Being that I have no college degree, my options are limited as far as career paths go. Anything I do at this point is going to be a substantial cut in pay for me if I don't stay in production supervision but at 50 years old, it's not about the money anymore for me. I simply want to find something I enjoy doing every day. While I understand there are aspects of almost every job that can be undesirable, there are things about driving a truck and the solitude of being on the road I find appealing.
I have little knowledge of truck driving other than what I have read so far but it seems as though I would qualify for almost everything though I'm a little concerned about being able to pass the DOT physical. I am borderline diabetic but only take oral medication, no shots, and I have read where that can be acceptable. However, while I have not had any heart attacks, I have had 2 stents put in my heart, one in 2011 and the other in 2014. I also take a couple of medications for cholesterol and also a beta blocker. In addition, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 7 or 8 years ago and I do have a CPAP machine. I am not terribly overweight but could stand lose a few pounds like most people. I'm 5'10" and usually stay between 205-210 pounds.
Other than the health issues, I think I would be fine on everything else. My employment history should be more than sufficient, my driving record is excellent other than a deer I hit on the highway a couple years ago, no criminal history and no DUI's. My main concern are the 2 stents I have and the sleep apnea diagnosis. Should I just stop now and forget this dream about trying to drive a truck or is it worth pursuing? Any help you guys could provide would be much appreciated. This site is extremely informative and I have enjoyed reading the ups and downs of the life of a truck driver. Many thanks in advance, keep up the good work and most of all, stay safe!
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
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.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
DUI:
Driving Under the Influence