My husband and I are getting ready to start school to get our cdl. We got our permits and just took our dot physical which we both received 2 year medical cards. However, on my long form, the Dr. wrote down that I have a benign heart murmur and an enlarged thyroid. I was aware of both but never even gave them a second thought as they do not cause me any problems and I actually forget I have them.

Now I am worrying that the heart murmur may keep me from getting a job. Does anyone have any experience with this? Please let me know what to expect as we really have our heart set on driving as a team and have already made some life changes to accomplish this and I would be devastated to find out that something as minor as this heart murmur thing could keep me from acheiving my goal.

I am now 44 and have known about the heart murmur since 16. Had some tests ran and told it was an innocent murmur, nothing to worry about, lots of people have them. Don't take any medication and have never had any restrictions because of it. Blood pressure is perfectly normal.

That's what you tell them if they ask. I know my company would ask and they may even want to see those test results. If you don't have them they may want to run them again. However, that was my company and we were hauling gasoline. But the fact here is the doctor has cleared you to drive. By signing your medical card he is telling the world you're ok to drive.


Here's what the FMCSR's say §391.41(b) A person is physically quailified to drive a commercial motor vehicle if that person- (4) Has no current clinical diagnosis of myocardial infrarction, angina pectoris, coronary insufficiency, thrombosis. or any other cardiovascular disease of a variety known to be accompanied by syncope, dyspnea, collapse, or congestive cariac failure.

The key word here is current clinical diagnosis. And since you've had this forever I really don't think you'll have a problem. You may have to jump through some extra hoops but you may not. Whatever you do be sure to down load a copy of that regulation and keep it with you in case you have to show the company.

Hopefully they won't ask for the test results because those were done when I was 16 so I obviously don't have them. That's what I'm worried about is that they'll want some tests done. I dread the thought of getting all the way out to whereever we end up having to go for orientation and then get sent back home either to get some tests run to show them I"m fine or they won't want me at all.

I was really hoping that some other drivers here may have the same problem or know someone that does. Wow, that didn't sound good did it? What I mean is that I was hoping someone would have firsthand knowledge of whether companies consider this to be a disqualification for working for them.

And, since I have been unemployed for quite some time now, I do not have insurance and I would imagine getting an ekg or an echocardiogram wouldn't be cheap..........

When I first got my CDl class "B" back in 1990, I found out that I had a heart murmur. It hasn't hurt me for a job or anything since.

You shouldn't worry so much. You have the FMCSA behind you so if you can just relax and if it comes up then you can deal with it.