New DOT Physical Requirements?

Discussion in 'Trucking Industry Regulations' started by kc8vje, Mar 18, 2007.

Do you think the DOT should have a more strict physical??

  1. *

    Yes

    21.6%
  2. *

    No

    72.4%
  3. *

    Who Cares

    7.5%
  1. rondat

    rondat Bobtail Member

    17
    0
    Nov 30, 2007
    St.Joe,Ar.
    0
    my mother in law talked " under the table " with her hr rep with the comany she drives for,it's cheaper and easier in the long run to not hire anyone with a disability such as sleep apnea,depression,and so on.the companies save money on insurance and so on. and , as long as they get rid of the person as soon as the issue is noticed then there is a loophole in the federal regs that saves the company from being sued.she tried to explan it,but i honestly got confused by the bs.
     
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  3. n4mgr

    n4mgr Light Load Member

    121
    7
    Nov 22, 2007
    Silver City, NM
    0
    Thanks, I know Welbutrin is not a narcotic. The only things a DOT drug test checks for are narcotics, this is a five panel test that checks for Amphetamines(Meth, Crystal Meth, Speed), Cannabinoids(THC, Marijuana), Cocaine, Opiates(Codeine, Morphine, Oxycodone, Heroin, Vidcodin, etc.) and finally Phencyclidine(PCP). If you are taking anything other than the categories listed here, you should be ok on the drug test.
     
  4. 1happywoman

    1happywoman Bobtail Member

    37
    2
    Nov 4, 2007
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    0
    N4, ADHD is treatable in adults with some of the newer medications. Also, how you reacted to the earlier generation of medications for ADD/ADHD may not have anything to do with how you react as an adult. (In other words, Ritalin is a stimulant drug but has the effect of calming a child to the point they can concentrate. Some ADD/ADHD drugs are used in adults to treat mild daytime sleepiness because of the stimulant properties, just the opposite of how it works for a child)There is one ADHD drug that is a non-stimulant. Just like antidepressants, they are not "one drug fits all" so sometimes it's trial and error to find the right medication and the right dosage to be effective without causing side effects. Honestly, a good psychiatrist might be better at treating this than a regular general practitioner.

    A big old word of caution on so-called "natural" remedies. These are not regulated, so you never know how much "active" property something might have. In other words, you might take one brand of an herbal remedy that delivers 10mg of whatever, and the same amount of another brand might deliver 10 times that much, or maybe 1/10th of what you were taking. These natural remedies are not without risk. Recently there was a news blurb about the so-called "natural" male enhancement remedies, and how they can be just as dangerous as the pharmaceuticals for some people. None of this stuff is tested scientifically; it's usually only anecdotal evidence which is pretty flimsy (My aunt's husband's brother took this and he lost xxx lbs. - that kind of thing). Also, what kind of credentials or training to the people who are suggesting this stuff have? Just because you can buy something off the shelf, doesn't mean it is safe.

    Another point - sleep apnea and depression are conditions that are treatable. I really don't see legally how companies could institute policies for not hiring people that have these conditions and are seeking active treatment. To me, it just seems stupid that trucking companies would want people to feel like they had to stop taking their medications in order to work for them. If you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine when sleeping, that is about the simplest thing there is, involving no medications, just consistant use. Seems to me that if a company won't hire people with those conditions, why would they hire anyone on an antihypertensive or an oral medication to lower insulin levels? (And I did say insulin levels, not blood sugar - two totally different things treated with the same medications).Diabetes and hypertension (and heart disease) are more costly to insurance companies than depression and sleep apnea.
     
  5. rondat

    rondat Bobtail Member

    17
    0
    Nov 30, 2007
    St.Joe,Ar.
    0
    I just got back from my doctors office from a routine checkup and I asked him about the meaning of " mind altering and mood altering drugs",legal prescriptions are not classified as mind altering or mood altering in a medical sence,but a untrained paperpusher may not know the difference.
    Mind and mood altering drugs ARE the illegal type drugs.Therefor,it falls on the companies medical rep to determine yeah or neah,not a recruiter or human resource personal as they aren't medical trained.
     
  6. scotty

    scotty Light Load Member

    98
    21
    Feb 22, 2007
    0
    Truck Drivers don't have:
    A helath club every time we stop at night to go to.
    A place were we can get good food, there are a lot of us go with-out because there are no places to go to.
    Exercise? Try walking a mile in 4 foot of snow, then catch a cold.

    I's sure that we all do our best but the FMCSA has to get a reality check or geta job as a Driver and see what the industry is all about. Only a fool that sets behind a desk who makes up rules with little reguard as to know what effets they have on Drivers.
    Sadly I have seen some truckers who can't get pass a scale house. with-out being in a Truck. I am not one of those bout like all of us I do my best to keep in shape.:biggrin_25512:
     
  7. Himes3328

    Himes3328 Light Load Member

    52
    5
    Nov 30, 2007
    MILTON, FLORIDA
    0
    IT WILL PROBABLY NEVER FLY...speaking of flies that is just another fly in the ointment of a truckers life that of course WE....WILL...HAVE...TO....DEAL ....WITH:biggrin_255:
     
  8. ladyhawk90629

    ladyhawk90629 Bobtail Member

    17
    2
    Jul 25, 2010
    Northern California
    0
    Question for discussion and info gathering for myself: I have had my cdl since 2000 with over 2 1/2 yrs otr, solo driver, and the rest local driving in Cali, was injured and after 6 yrs. finally getting the ok to do what I love, or at least give it and me another shot... Anyway have been trying to gather information on becoming a DMV California - examiner for new and renewal cdl hopefuls , what do I need to do to make this a viable avenue of employment? Whom and what do I have to have to do this?
     
  9. Faup

    Faup Bobtail Member

    2
    0
    Sep 8, 2013
    0
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