Medical Pre-screening.
Topic 23931 | Page 1
That's a good thing for people interested in Prime to know. Thanks for sharing that information!
That's a good thing for people interested in Prime to know. Thanks for sharing that information!
True that Susan true that! With out a doubt. But it might be worth asking for other companies as well. I only stumbled across it by one person stating that on a pod cast.
Being a newbie to the industry, any edge you can gain will indeed help.
So I got a call today from my Prime inc. recruiter (great guy) and he sent me a "task" to complete. Basically an agreement to sign regarding medical information which I did. Then received a questionnaire from Trinity Medical to fill out and then booked a 10 minute phone call for tomorrow. I really like that Prime has this option because recruiting is unable to answer medical questions. It just saves some of the worry before getting on the bus and not knowing what meds or anything medical that might become a problem and then be sent home. Fwiw.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
So to finalize here. Trinity Medical called right on time that I was slotted for. Just a quick run down over the form I had filled out online yesterday. Budda bing budda boom. All is good and cleared for take off. Like I posted earlier, I think this a huge help just for the peace of mind's sake or to catch something that a newbie like myself would not know any better that would be specific to the industry. I highly recommend asking your recruiter if they provide this service if you should have any medical concerns or under a Doctors care for a condition. They will more than likely want a letter from your Doctor stating you are clear to drive a truck.
So to finalize here. Trinity Medical called right on time that I was slotted for. Just a quick run down over the form I had filled out online yesterday. Budda bing budda boom. All is good and cleared for take off. Like I posted earlier, I think this a huge help just for the peace of mind's sake or to catch something that a newbie like myself would not know any better that would be specific to the industry. I highly recommend asking your recruiter if they provide this service if you should have any medical concerns or under a Doctors care for a condition. They will more than likely want a letter from your Doctor stating you are clear to drive a truck.
I had to go through the same process. once you actually get there all they will do is check your height, weight, vision, blood pressure, and make sure youre able to move around like a normal person. the entire physical itself took less then 10 minutes, its simply the waiting that takes forever. took me around 3 hours to complete all steps. I will say though that if your BMI is above 32 i think it is, they will possibly disqualify you. In short if youre overweight you can be disqualified, but if your extremely overweight its almost certain.
my starting class of 85 ppl had about 30 semi overweight ppl, and about 10 extremely overweight ppl. out of the 30 about half are still here, and out of the 10 only 1 or 2. most were sent home for health reasons.
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.
So to finalize here. Trinity Medical called right on time that I was slotted for. Just a quick run down over the form I had filled out online yesterday. Budda bing budda boom. All is good and cleared for take off. Like I posted earlier, I think this a huge help just for the peace of mind's sake or to catch something that a newbie like myself would not know any better that would be specific to the industry. I highly recommend asking your recruiter if they provide this service if you should have any medical concerns or under a Doctors care for a condition. They will more than likely want a letter from your Doctor stating you are clear to drive a truck.
I had to go through the same process. once you actually get there all they will do is check your height, weight, vision, blood pressure, and make sure youre able to move around like a normal person. the entire physical itself took less then 10 minutes, its simply the waiting that takes forever. took me around 3 hours to complete all steps. I will say though that if your BMI is above 32 i think it is, they will possibly disqualify you. In short if youre overweight you can be disqualified, but if your extremely overweight its almost certain.
my starting class of 85 ppl had about 30 semi overweight ppl, and about 10 extremely overweight ppl. out of the 30 about half are still here, and out of the 10 only 1 or 2. most were sent home for health reasons.
You WILL NOT be sent home for being overweight. The reason people that are overweight are disqualified is typically blood pressure. Having the 32 BMI you referenced, or neck circumference of 17 inches or larger will likely result in being issued a 3 month card prompting you to get a sleep study done for sleep apnea.
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.
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.
You WILL NOT be sent home for being overweight.
Exactly - A lot of people claim they were discriminated against by trucking companies due to being overweight. OMG, puuuhleeeeez! Have you seen some of the tanks out here driving trucks?
What happens is the company wants them to have a sleep study, but the applicant gets mad and refuses. Now, they're getting sent home, but not because they are overweight. I saw this happen with two people when I was in orientation at Knight. Out of eight of us, I believe three of us actually got hired after it was all said and done. Two of the failures were due to refusing a sleep study.
Im overweight, got the sleep study and didnt have apnea. I got my 2 yr card at prime. they had me do another study for the next physical and this time i had apnea....so i got the machine.
So now im at prime over 3 years.
People lie about why they get sent home.
And Prime all sorts of diet and exercise programs for drivers to help them lose weight IF the driver chooses.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
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Prime Inc Becoming A Truck Driver DOT Physical DOT Physical Exemptions Exercise and Fitness Health Concerns Sleep Apnea
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I was watching some old Prime Q&A podcast last nite and on one of them a question came up regarding medical questions. Of course recruiting cannot answer much in regards to medical issues but said that if you may have some concerns regarding medical matters, they will set up a pre-medical screening before taking that bus ride. Well I messaged Prime today and they just came back and said that they will get it set up. So....FWIW.