A few medications are prohibited for commercial drivers. Check out this video to keep yourself up to date about the current medications that are not allowed by the DOT.
New DOT Physical Requirements
Are you gearing up to start your truck driving career? Then getting yourself updated with the newest dot physical requirements is required. In order to drive around a business vehicle that has more than 10,000 lbs of gross weight, passing the dot physical test is essential. Let’s find out the central points here.
The Prime Points
There is no surprise that vision test tops the chart in the examination rundown for New Dot Physical requirements. Your eyes will be checked- both together and separately. Remember the Snellen eye test one had to go through during childhood eye check-ups? Get ready to experience something to that effect again.
Urine analysis or urinalysis is next imperative session which you have to breeze through. Hernia, diabetes, blood leakage are their red flags in urinalysis. You shall be checked upon for hypertension as well as weak pulse rate. Hearing examination will be done from specific distance and recurrence.
The Documents
Your medical history is the most essential bit of record that the doctor will be checking upon. So bring along minimum 1 year of health history from your primary physician. It’s highly possible that you might experience high blood pressure or sleep apnea during the time of the test. In spite of the fact it will not come under the salvo of disqualification, submit the separate results of BP test or sleep test.
Are you on a medication for something as simple as cold and cough? Then also a proper medication list alongside name, dosage and prescribing physician’s name should be presented to the examining doctor. In case you use hearing aids or lenses/glasses, then don’t forget to bring them as well.
The Grounds For Disqualification
As of March 2017 by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator (FMCSA) – you can be precluded from the license if you are overweight or possess alcohol or other addiction problem. Have you recently come out of eye ailments like cataracts or glaucoma? At that point, be ready to face additional check-up from specialist. The test includes your eyes’ adjustment power to light, co-ordination of both the eyeballs and so on.
In the event you have holes in your eardrum, consider to be poked further. Likewise, pacemaker in heart or weak pulse may raise red flags in dot physical exam. So, it’s always advisable to know about the FMCSA guidelines prior.
Improved Health
There is a set health improvement manual one needs to follow for qualifying the test. Though proper diet, exercise and rest are mandatory throughout the year, take special attention to your health before one week of the test. Don’t skip medication even for half-of-the day. Take plenty of water, juice and green veggies during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Discard caffeine, salt, sugar and spicy foods from your nourishment list.
Not only for yourself but also for the sake of others’ lives, it’s important to rev up your driving game on the road. Meeting the dot physical requirements is the only standard that gives you the right to steer through interstate. That’s why it’s advisable to take the exam seriously.