Driving With Diabetes
Topic 14312 | Page 1
just today I got a thumbs up from my endocrinoligist. Now my DOT physical is done. I do take insulin, and my sugars are under control. Now I have to send all the imformation to FMSCA. The endocrinoligist says I should easily get a waiver. I know it will take probably six months to get the waiver. My question is who will hire me with the insulin.
Welcome to the forum! I have Type I Diabetes, so I take insulin, and I got the federal exemption. It's a royal pain in the butt, but once you get it it's not that hard to keep.
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.
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.
just today I got a thumbs up from my endocrinoligist. Now my DOT physical is done. I do take insulin, and my sugars are under control. Now I have to send all the imformation to FMSCA. The endocrinoligist says I should easily get a waiver. I know it will take probably six months to get the waiver. My question is who will hire me with the insulin.
Welcome to the forum! I have Type I Diabetes, so I take insulin, and I got the federal exemption. It's a royal pain in the butt, but once you get it it's not that hard to keep.
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.
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.
Sorry, hit Submit by accident. Here's the link for the Exemption application: Federal Diabetes Exemption
You MUST check the box that says "Interstate Only" if you don't want to be seriously restricted on what you haul and where you haul it. Also, you probably have "intrastate only" checked on your medical card/form right now since you don't have the exemption yet. Once you get the exemption, you will need to return to the medical examiner who issued you your medical card to have that restriction removed, or just get a new DOT physical.
If your endocrinologist didn't fill out the checklist on here, you'll have to go back so he can fill it out. Just follow the instructions, make yourself a list so you don't forget anything, and send it all in. And go ahead and make yourself an appointment with your eye doctor. It really does take six months--by the time mine came in the mail I had forgotten about it.
As far as hirability, I applied to Swift and CR England and didn't have a problem with either one once I had the Exemption. I work at Swift and they have not brought up the Diabetes even once since the initial time I emailed the exemption in to them. Swift is also very good about getting me home on time for doctor's appointments so I don't lose my exemption. I was worried about training, but they got me home for a day during training just for the appointment.
Once you get the exemption, you will need to see your endocrinologist every three months and your eye doctor once a year. You will also have to check your blood sugar every time you are going to drive a cmv and every 2-4 hours while you are driving. If you blood sugar dips below 100 or goes over 400 you will have to stop and wait til it is back in range. You are also required to keep a quick source of sugar on your truck at all times while driving. Yes, it's a royal pain.
Sorry if I've overwhelmed you with too much information. Everything will be explained on the exemption once it's issued to you. For now, just get those appointments done and everything signed off so you can send it all in and wait.
Good luck!! Paul
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.
CMV:
Commercial Motor Vehicle
A CMV is a vehicle that is used as part of a business, is involved in interstate commerce, and may fit any of these descriptions:
- Weighs 10,001 pounds or more
- Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more
- Is designed or used to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver) not for compensation
- Is designed or used to transport 9 or more passengers (including the driver) for compensation
- Is transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placards
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
Intrastate:
The act of purchasers and sellers transacting business while keeping all transactions in a single state, without crossing state lines to do so.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
- Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
- Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
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.HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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just today I got a thumbs up from my endocrinoligist. Now my DOT physical is done. I do take insulin, and my sugars are under control. Now I have to send all the imformation to FMSCA. The endocrinoligist says I should easily get a waiver. I know it will take probably six months to get the waiver. My question is who will hire me with the insulin.
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.
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.