medical certificate questions

That you very much. That is the issue, it is not required. I have great difficult understanding why people so easily buckle under to the whims of others, and that is what it is the whim of a DOCTOR who is in a service industry, a service to me.

 

All of the places that I have been to require payment prior to initiating the physical because no matter if you fail or pass, it is not like they give you a refund.

 

I disagree based on the new system. Now that the examiners have to voluntarily be registered with FMCSA to give DOT physicals, they should have to stick with the program and certify the driver if he meets the requirements clearly spelled out on the examination forms.

With the new notification requirements in place (or to be put in place), these examiners can royally screw a driver. If they are going to "Pay to Play" the system, then they need to be kept on a leash as short as the drivers are on.

 

Yes I agree, the only thing I was just trying to say is that the whole "testing" portion would be preventable under the new guidelines if we all were in better health and lost some of the spare tire around our waist, that is all. I am guilty of it myself, I barely missed having to be sent for one this year because I was 39.5 %(how I have no clue, but that is the game I have to play) even though according the US Army BMI I was only at 29%, but hey its the game I have to play and I accept it.

I mean I hear all these people disagreeing with the new statutes that will be put in place, but not a lot of communication to the people that can stop it.

I am all for slapping big brothers hand to keep him out of our cookie jar, but its kind of hard to fight something when we are David battling Goliath. I have a very good relationship with our local state politicians, thanks to the fire department, but they even say its an up hill battle without as many drivers voicing their opinion to the RIGHT PEOPLE instead of just complaining in general in places like here.

 

Have any of you had a problem with your weight?? Go to renew CDL medical card and I have the BMI problem, they tell me to lose weight or take sleep test. I have lost all but 10 pounds. Not to sound mean but there are alot of guys out there driving that are on the heavy side, is each state requirements different? I can do ten more pounds but just don't get it why so strick.

 

It is not so much the states or FMCSA, but its the specific doctors themselves that wants your bmi to be a specific percentage or else they would like you to go and get a sleep apnea test because the average right now is about 40% and over in BMI in males is a good starter for them to declare people to be at high risk for it. For instance I am at 38.5 (according to their scale) but by the Army's standard I was at 28 at the same measurements I am at now. The system is flawed, yes. Than again its their medical license that is certifying you to be up to par to drive, so they get to say if your good to go or not.

 

Will companies not hire you with sleep apnea even if you are on a CPAP machine and have a medical card?

 

Oh they'll hire you alright. It appears more and more companies WANT drivers on CPAP machines. They love being able to monitor your activities.

 

Yeah they will hire you and than they will issue you a CPAP machine. It depends on what company you get with. Knight for instance issues one, but they do not monitor usage. There are some companies out there that utilize capabilities to monitor its daily usage or you get in trouble and all kinds of jazz like that.