Considering Career
Topic 29019 | Page 1
Hi. I'm considering a change in careers. A lot of things about the trucking industry appeal to me. As a diabetic how hard is it to get licensed? I am not insulin dependent.
Howdy, TC N ... and welcome to Trucking Truth~!!
We have quite a few articles on diabetic drivers on here; insulin dependent, and non. You could search in the big white bar above, 'diabetes' and come up with many results.
You could also search for posts by specific persons / usernames... I would type in Marc Lee for starters; he was a diabetic that got into the industry just fine!
You may only end up with a ONE YEAR medical card, but so what? Your CDL will look like everyone else's~!!
Have you seen our links?
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road CDL Training Program
- CDL Practice Tests
Stick around; ask and we shall answer!! Read and peruse the above, at your leisure. ~ Anne ~
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Anne gave you excellent advice. You'll need to provide documentation for your doctor to prove your condition is under control such as your A1C. There are many drivers out on the road with diabetes. As Anne also pointed out you'll be given 1 year medical card as opposed to 2 year. No big deal, many conditions require annual visits to the DOT doctor. I have a condition, sleep apnea , that only gets me a 1 year medical card and it hasn't negatively impacted my career. Some people get upset about only getting a 1 year card but it's not a big deal to me. For the physicals I've taken I've been in and out in about a half hour.
Bring up to date documentation proving your condition is controlled (A1C) and it won't be a problem.
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.
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Hi. I'm considering a change in careers. A lot of things about the trucking industry appeal to me. As a diabetic how hard is it to get licensed? I am not insulin dependent.