Todd Wakefield, a trucker out of California, needed to get his medical certification renewed, so when he saw an ad for a $65 health exam for truckers outside of a Pennsylvania truck stop he called the number and set up an appointment. From then on, the whole experience seemed to Todd to be slightly off. He was right to be suspicious – according to the Pennsylvania State Police the whole operation was a scam.
Todd was picked up from the truck stop in an old Ford Tempo and driven to a residence where he was given a physical and took a urine test. The “doctor” then faxed his paperwork and required forms to the California DOT. When authorities contacted him about some irregularities in his paperwork, Todd did some digging and informed the police of his suspicions.
The woman behind the scam, Joann Wingate, a chiropractor with a suspended license, has been offering medical services to drivers since at least 2009. After the state discovered this past fall that she was giving physicals to truckers, they suspended her license indefinitely. In order to keep working, she took the identity of a local licensed psychiatrist with the same last name and used her information to submit medical forms.
After Todd decided that Wingate wasn’t who she said she was, he contacted her the day after his exam and she agreed to refund his money.
According to state police, at least 16 other drivers that they know of have fallen victim to the scam, though there are quite possibly others.
Wingate has been charged with forgery, identity theft, impersonation, fraud and other related offenses. She has been released on bail of $10,000.
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Source: abcnews
“The whole experience seemed to be off” … If your DOT Physician provides a happy ending to the exam …..
Seriously though just one more example of scams that are devised to attack our industry and is just dispicable. We are on the road and away from our home and regular doctor so who wouldn’t take this offer as a godsend when your renewal is near. I can only imagine what would have happened if he had been pulled over and cited for no legitimate physical, maybe even been arrested for carying a fraudulent physical card. I hope she is put under the jail or handed over to a group of truckers she scammed.
Cudos to Mr Todd Wakefield on sniffing this out!
I heard about this incident yesterday and I was infuriated. I am a chiropractor and certified medical examiner (CME) who is registered with the NRCME. I am also a proud member of the group Team CME.
I worked hard for my Doctor of Chiropractic degree, I took the six-part course and took the national examination to become a CME. The course is not easy and the exam is done under very demanding circumstances (empty your pockets, picture ID, camera on me while I take the exam).
I am proud of this designation and the men and women I serve when I offer this exam. I treat “my drivers” with respect out here in Newark, NJ.
This woman DC is a disgrace! She lost her license in two states and this is just a desperate attempt to hold onto a means to make money. She used the name and license number of another female doctor (psychiatrist) with a similar last name. It would never have lasted long since drivers need to turn in the certificate at some point to renew their license.
Lessons to learn, (1) a chiropractor CME is the same as any other CME so don’t judge us based on this one awful person, (2) most likely the exam will never be $65 again – I charge more for this service (3) a doctor who offers exams in her home? A female doctor brings you to her home in a beat-up car to give you a physical exam? It sounds like a bad plot to a porno film. Be suspicious! (4) There are better places to find the names of CMEs: the DMV (or, in NJ, the MVC) has lists, the website https://nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov/NRPublicUI/home.seam lists every doctor in the United States with a drop-down menu by state and ZIP code.
Best to all drivers out there from Dr. Lane!
Hey Bones…..what the Hell is a porno film ?
add to that thanks to the fmcsa’s new requirement of which doctors can give the exam, I am sure that finding one that is on your route and schedule will be more difficult.
Robin, a dot physical is good for two years. There is absolutely no reason to not be able to get a new one done at your convenience while home.
Ron, a DOT physical is good for UP TO 2 years. Many drivers only have a 1-year medical, for a variety of reasons.
“Home” . . ? How about the tens of thousands of drivers whose home is on 10 tires and may be a couple of thousand miles from the mail-pickup place that is their official “home” . . ?
Even most OTR drivers who do have a home that stays in one place can’t count on being there at any particular time, so making appointments is difficult to impossible — or a missed appointment comes with a fee. The only other option is to hope to get a walk-in exam during the day and a half before the next three weeks on the road. And, really, that day and a half of time off is filled with other things that need to be done, which couldn’t be done from hundreds of miles away and must be finished before the next run.
Your smug comment about “absolutely no reason” makes me wonder if you have ever actually been an over the road truck driver. I’ve been doing this, off and on, since 1975, and I have never seen ANYTHING for which there is “absolutely no reason” that a driver can’t get it done.
As I write this, I am sitting at a company terminal, a full day’s drive from the home that I was supposed to be back to today. Perhaps you will call my dispatcher and tell him that there’s absolutely no reason to not be able to get me home on time.
I have seen signs like this around truck stops I been to. I laugh at it I say surely nobody would call. But o guess if desperation kicks it happens. I had friend to buy one from truck stop for 20 bucks caz he high blood pressure. He don’t take meds caz he claims is messes with his manhood. It wouldn’t do its do. He shows it to me and it looked fake. We live in state where we have to register cards. He got caught coming thru Mo and got shut down 4 having no med card. He had 2 call get a ride. Dot would not let him move that truck until he had a official med card. Then he got a good ticket. Missed his del apt. And then almost got fired
@keith if you livelihood depends in you getting medically certified prior to your 1 or 2 year expiration date than there is no reason not to get it done. Stop with the excuses, geesh some of you guys whine to much, just make it happen
Yeah, let’s just “make it happen.” We’ll conjure as much truck parking as we need everywhere and raises for everyone while we’re at it. Let us know when you make that happen.
Well if FMCS is enforcing which “real” doctors can perform DOT physicals then its time to make it happen where the major truck STOPS have a medical examiner (CME) 24/7 who is registered with the NRCME.
If an OTR driver is in need of a cad then the dispatcher is required to give you (the driver) a passthru there.