Need Advice About Prime (physical)

I just want to thank everyone for being so helpful from tips on quick fixes to advise on holding off and doing things better. For my safety and everyone elses on the road I have decided to hold off on my training until i get this thing under control. It would kill me if i had trouble on the road and hurt some innocent people. I am very upset with this decision because i have studied hard and put about 2 months of thought into doing this, but i believe this is the right thing to do. Again thanks guys.

I just want to thank everyone for being so helpful from tips on quick fixes to advise on holding off and doing things better. For my safety and everyone elses on the road I have decided to hold off on my training until i get this thing under control. It would kill me if i had trouble on the road and hurt some innocent people. I am very upset with this decision because i have studied hard and put about 2 months of thought into doing this, but i believe this is the right thing to do. Again thanks guys.

Never violate your conscience. If that's how you really feel, you are doing the right thing. It'll be here once you have your BP under control. Good luck.

because i have studied hard and put about 2 months of thought into doing this,

Brent, I researched and studied this Business for a year before I took the leap. Go see your Dr. If you have high BP he will put you on some meds. It may take 30-90 days to find the best one for you. After that you will be good to go. BP meds WILL NOT cause you a problem to get your med card. I went for a complete Physical 6 months before taking my DOT Physical. Just wanted to be sure everything was good before hand. I found out that my Cholesterol was out of whack. After 3 months on the meds it is perfect. You have made a wise decision. I had all of my ducks in a row by the time I arrived at the Swift Academy. There were lots of people struggling to get things in order to prevent getting sent back home.( CPAP , Traffic Tickets, Background issues etc.) Get things in order and you will coast thru the scrutiny once you arrive at School.

If your BP cannot score out less than 140/90 - you will be sent home to get it under control.

People on BP meds, will only qualify for a 1 year card - but you STILL HAVE TO BE BELOW 140/90 on meds also.

Better, if you are questioning whether or not you can pass the physical, to get your BP UNDER CONTROL BEFORE YOU GO.

Also - being overweight, a smoker and a coffee drinker can spike your BP. Can't do much in a hurry about being overweight - but if you smoke and use caffeine, try getting up in the AM and NOT SMOKING/COFFEE and see where you score out.

It is recommended you DO NOT DO EITHER (any ways) the morning of you physical, because the STRESS of the physical (white coat fever) combined with the nicotine and caffeine can cause an abnormally high reading even with folks that have no BP issues.

Rick

I will also add that eating a meal increases your blood pressure. When your stomach needs blood for digestion, the heart picks up a bit. That's just one more small factor that might add up to a healthy reading. Drink water if you need something in your stomach.

Also, do not clench your fist when you are taking the test. In fact, relax your whole body. Lean back in the chair, stretch out your legs. Take long, deep breaths, but don't force yourself to breathe uncomfortably much air in or out.

If they tell you to make a fist, make a fist but do not clench it, just make the shape of a fist, and stay relaxed. Every tight muscle in your body tells the heart to pump more blood.

I can't say for sure about every situation I can only tell you what happened during my orientation class at Prime I just went through a week ago. Anyone who tested for high blood pressure that was barely over the limit (my roommate being one) they were given the chance to test the next morning and see if it was back to normal and maybe it was a one time thing. They try to work with you on a lot of the medical issues that aren't too crazy. Hope this helps.

After 3 trips to the Dr. In 3 months i have lost 15 lbs and my blood pressure has came down enough to pass the physical at my local office😁😁😁. I have recieved my 2 year med card! In the last 3 months i was accepted into knight transportation, i think i want to stick with prime but im on the fence. Anyway my next question is my bmi is still high so will these companies make me do a sleep study or will my current medcard be sufficient?

Usually who ever hires you runs you through their chosen physician for a new physical. At Knight if your neck circumference is more than 17 inches you're gonna be sleep tested. I witnessed a young rookie who was in very good physical condition (muscular) throwing a fit at the Gulfport, MS terminal because Knight's physician wanted him to go through a sleep study due to his neck measurement.

His little fit got him on the next bus home.

BTW, congratulations on the weight loss. Very impressive!

After 3 trips to the Dr. In 3 months i have lost 15 lbs and my blood pressure has came down enough to pass the physical at my local office😁😁😁. I have recieved my 2 year med card! In the last 3 months i was accepted into knight transportation, i think i want to stick with prime but im on the fence. Anyway my next question is my bmi is still high so will these companies make me do a sleep study or will my current medcard be sufficient?

Brent, It sounds like you did things the right way, Good job! You may want to go one step further if you are concerned about the Sleep Apnea situation. It seem lately, many Companies are hitting the OSA sleep study thing pretty hard. If they require you to do one, you will need to foot the bill for it AND the CPAP machine as well. (This can possibly hold you up and get you sent home). You may want to have one done on your own prior to heading off to School. If indeed you test positive, you will already have the Machine and required documentation. If not, you will have the documentation that you DO NOT have OSA. Good Luck! BTW, A current Medical Card will not preclude you from OSA testing. This is a Company Policy, and not part of a DOT physical.

After 3 trips to the Dr. In 3 months i have lost 15 lbs and my blood pressure has came down enough to pass the physical at my local office😁😁😁. I have recieved my 2 year med card! In the last 3 months i was accepted into knight transportation, i think i want to stick with prime but im on the fence. Anyway my next question is my bmi is still high so will these companies make me do a sleep study or will my current medcard be sufficient?

Brent, It sounds like you did things the right way, Good job! You may want to go one step further if you are concerned about the Sleep Apnea situation. It seem lately, many Companies are hitting the OSA sleep study thing pretty hard. If they require you to do one, you will need to foot the bill for it AND the CPAP machine as well. (This can possibly hold you up and get you sent home). You may want to have one done on your own prior to heading off to School. If indeed you test positive, you will already have the Machine and required documentation. If not, you will have the documentation that you DO NOT have OSA. Good Luck! BTW, A current Medical Card will not preclude you from OSA testing. This is a Company Policy, and not part of a DOT physical.

I'll add to this by saying if you do get a sleep study done and you do have sleep apnea, you will need to use it for a month to establish a history of compliance.

I know you are probably thinking "oh, great, another month!" But think about it this way, you'll go to the doctor of your choice and if you have insurance, they should pay for most of it.

With all that being said, I want to congratulate on the weight loss and mentality you've shown so far!