BMI
Topic 4454 | Page 1
I just took my DOT physical yesterday and BMI was a part of it, unofficially. The way the doc splained it, BMI will be part of the DOT physical and that I needed to be aware of what was coming from the Feds. If your BMI is over 35, you have a much greater chance of having sleep apnea and need to take a sleep apnea test( There are other factors as well such as length and quality if sleep).
Thats all that I know, I'm sure there are others on here that can give you more detailed info.
Best of luck to you
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.
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.
Thanks for your response. I wonder if this means that having a BMI over 35 does not necessarily disqualify you from passing the DOT physical but only adds another obstacle you must go through (sleep test) to pass the physical. And even if you do not pass the sleep test if you can still pass the physical by being put on a cpap machine. I may be way off base here but just trying to make sure I have a full understanding of the obstacles I may face in the future and the solutions to them.
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.
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.
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
Youre welcome. To answer the BMI question for sure, you should talk to a medical examiner in your area. He/she can give you exact information. Also, you can go through the FMCSA website here www.fmcsa.dot.gov or your state DOT website. There are exemptions and waivers for certain medical conditions as well as 3,6,and 12 month medical cards (Instead of the usual 2 year card)
Anyways, hope that helps, and like I said, someone on here probably has better info than I do. This is a great resource here so get the most out of it.
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.
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.
I really disagree with the whole BMI thing. here's an example why,
I myself am 6' 4" and im sitting at around 265. BMI has me at Obese... I actually laughed at the doctor when she told me this. I could understand if I was 300+ (which I was. 325 dropped down to 260-5)
IMHO, its just another way for the "man" to stick it to us and control us in some way. "oh you want to be a truck driver, you need to lose more wieght and bring your BMI down before we can clear you too."
-end rant-
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.
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I've heard from several drivers that soon (possibly as early as the beginning of next year) that the DOT may start to include BMI on the DOT physical and that it is based off of the circumference of your neck. Basically if your neck is too large (from being overweight) you fail the DOT physical and are no longer allowed to drive until you lose enough weight to be in the right BMI range for your height. This is starting to play a large factor in my decision to drive as I am overweight (I'm about 5'5" and 340lbs). Yes I know I can lose the weight and have been trying to but its alot harder than it sounds. I guess what i'm getting at is that I would hate to make the decision and go to trucking to only be told sometime next year that I'm too fat to drive a truck and then be for lack of a better word screwed. I know for a fact that companies are already using BMI as a factor in their hiring decision (i've been turned down by a company for my BMI) which backs up the idea that DOT may soon be doing it too. I completely understand that there is a large amount of truck drivers out there that are overweight and would be affected by this if they did include this in the DOT physical. This may cause some to say that the DOT would never do that as it could cause a lot of damage to the trucking industry taking away a large portion of their working force but I seriously believe it is not out of the realm of possibilities.
Anyone else have any info on this or think this could happen soon?
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.
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.