Do You Lose Your CDL And Have To Re-test If You Let Your Medical Card Expire? Specifically Delaware
Topic 32760 | Page 1
And to add, I still have my physical CDL , it doesn't expire until next year. Never got anything in the mail telling me to surrender my license. And I can check my states DMV and it shows my license is valid, but doesn't say what class my license is. If I have to do another pre-trip test I swear 
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.
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.
Medical certification cards are a federal requirement, not state. Interstate commercial driving requires a medical certification card; intrastate (within one state) commercial driving does not.
What you needed to do is self-certify by filling out a self-certification affidavit. Since you didn't follow this step and your medical certificate expired, I think your best resource is DE DMV and let them tell you what you need to do. I have my feeling of what it could be, but that's just an educated guess and gut feeling. Forget whatever you have read online and go directly to the source, whether you call or visit in person.
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.
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.
This information is from a chart on the FMCSA that shows how each state handles expired medical card. For Delaware it says
Deny commercial privileges and change class of license to a Class D. If no valid med cert on file for 1 year, driver must complete all testing to get commercial privileges back. (eye, written, and road
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.
Have you created an account with the Delaware DMV and looked at your account online? Delaware sounds like my state of Ohio where you can go online and self certify. If your license still shows as a CDL just select a category that does not require a medical. That will keep your cdl intact basically indefinitely. At any point if you want to start driving again just get a physical and submit it to the DMV.
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.
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.
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.
I am going to call Tuesday when they open, would not make a bit of sense if I have to go back to a school just because of a physical.
I still recommend using the Delaware website to look at your account. Ohio has a similar system and I have changed my status numerous times over the years. You log in and click a box and it's done. You could have this resolved in 10 minutes today.
Good luck.
I am going to call Tuesday when they open, would not make a bit of sense if I have to go back to a school just because of a physical.
I am going to call Tuesday when they open, would not make a bit of sense if I have to go back to a school just because of a physical.
Definitely do what Greg recommended in the meantime and change your status to one not requiring a CDL. Unfortunately it may be too late for that to save you from completing the steps again.
You may not need to go through a mega carrier for schooling though. If that's what you're afraid of with your past driving you may find a local carrier (right now is less than ideal for LTL) willing to put you through school and give you a job upon completion. Could always work the dock making good money for LTL , gaining seniority and go through their driving program when hiring picks up.
Please let us know what you find out.
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.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
Harvest I live in the state of Delaware.
My CDL was transferred from PA to DE back in March. As my medical card was within 60 days of expiration I received an official letter from Del. Dept of Transportation alerting me of the approaching expiration date, what to do, and what would happen if it expired. It was crystal clear. Same letter 30 days later…same info.
When my CDL was issued from PA I receive similar correspondence 60, 30, and 0 days.
Unless you were not receiving any mail, or you didn’t read the contents of these notifications, allowing your medical card to expire was a conscience decision.
Even if you are not driving you need to stay in compliance unless you intend not to drive commercial vehicles requiring a CDL. Otherwise consider the consequences before allowing the Med card to expire.
Good luck with this. Hope it all works out.
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.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Harvest I live in the state of Delaware.
My CDL was transferred from PA to DE back in March. As my medical card was within 60 days of expiration I received an official letter from Del. Dept of Transportation alerting me of the approaching expiration date, what to do, and what would happen if it expired. It was crystal clear. Same letter 30 days later…same info.
When my CDL was issued from PA I receive similar correspondence 60, 30, and 0 days.
Unless you were not receiving any mail, or you didn’t read the contents of these notifications, allowing your medical card to expire was a conscience decision.
Even if you are not driving you need to stay in compliance unless you intend not to drive commercial vehicles requiring a CDL. Otherwise consider the consequences before allowing the Med card to expire.
Good luck with this. Hope it all works out.
I do not remember ever receiving anything from the DMV. For part of the year I was living somewhere else. So there could of been a possibility it was sent to me while I lived somewhere else. Year was very hectic following my accident as I was badly hurt. I guess if I have to retrain, I could possibly turn it as a positive and train with a manual like I always wanted. I always knew you could not drive without a medcard. However I thought your license was only downgraded until you receive the medcard. I was under the impression you could not ever lose your CDL unless you committed serious traffic offenses and other severe violations. What sucks is that it is only 4 months past the 1 year expired date. And if I was given a 2 year medcard, I would of been fine. But at this point it is a lesson learned I guess. I can try to call the DMV and plead my case. Maybe there is a hail marry and something with COVID would save me, but who knows. I see on the FMSCA website, there was something about a grace period, but it expired in October. The "Extension And Amendment of the Modified Emergency Declaration".
I tried going to the MyDMV site and this is what I see with the self declaration. So it is not looking good..... I know it's my fault for not keeping it renewed or doing extensive research. It was just pure ignorance, just thought the "downgrade" was only a downgrade until you are valid. Apparently most states are like that, but Delaware is one of the few that makes you redo everything. Which honestly I do not see the logic in it. I could understand paying a substantial fine or something. But having to redo absoloutely everything seems rather harsh. Not having a valid medcard does not make me forget how to drive. I could be wrong, but people with DUI's keep their cdl but just get a big suspension right? But even they get to keep the cdl.
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.
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.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.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.
DUI:
Driving Under the Influence
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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Hey everyone! It's been a long while since I posted here. I have been out of the trucking business for a few years, working from home after I was rear ended in my personal vehicle. I found a few class B trucking jobs around me I am about to be applying for once I get all my ducks in a row. However something that has me very concerned now, is that my medical card has been expired for some time now, It expired late 2021. I was always under the impression that if your medical card expires, you just cannot drive, you have the privileges of a class D license. And you can drive again once you get the physical and submit it. However, I've been hearing different things online. Apparently in some states, if your medical card expires, you have to do the entire process over again, get a learners permit, go to school, do all the tests over again. Which obviously, is a MASSIVE headache. I am calling the DMV when they open Tuesday. It's hard to find a direct answer in my states DMV website. States like Arizona use the specific wording "suspension and revocation of your CDL". My state says "You must not let it lapse or expire; doing so will result in a downgrade of your CDL to a non-commercial, Class D driver license. " Due to previous health problems, I only got my medical cards valid for one year. I just had no idea this was a possibility. Doesn't make any sense at all to me. Does anyone know more details on this? Kind of freaking out until I talk to the DMV Tuesday. I do not want to do OTR and train through a mega carrier again. And would rather not dish out the money for a private school. I already passed everything once and have a spotless driving record, having to go through the entire process over again for not getting a physical seems cruel.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
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:
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.
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.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.