DOT Physical

You bend over and touch your toes..

Fully clothed..

They tap your knees for reflexes.

You lift your arms.

They check your side vision.

Yada Yada.

 

Guy I know up here in Northern Michigan hauls lumber. Flat B-Trains. Has one leg. Lost one at upper thigh. Walks with crutches. Does just fine.

 

The individuals you see out here with chronic medical issues that might impair driving, amputees, some types of diabetic conditions, monocular vision (glass eye) other unseen complications have obtained their CDL physical through a waiver. Totally legal, they have to spend a lot of extra time jumping through the hoops, the physician involved has to be willing to do a much more complete examination, and be willing to stick his neck out on the certification. There are not a lot of them, and the waiver system is closely watched, the statistics show the participants are at least as safe if not safer than the general CDL population.
You will not pass with a broken foot, the waiver doesn't apply to you. Do like has been mentioned, DO not let your CDL lapse, change the self certification until you can pass the physical again.

 

Is this something you know, or is it a "feeling'? I ask as I'm not finding anything in the medical examiner handbook for a temporary broken bone. Permanent amputee sure, just nothing for a temporary problem.

Here is the handbook if anyone wants to try looking it up.

FMCSA Medical Examiner Handbook | FMCSA

To be clear, I'm not saying a broken bone would be ignored, I'm just saying there is no automatic failing. It would be up to the DOT Dr. and clinic policy if it's a problem.

 

This is no different than a driver who is injured or ill and has to go on some medication that is not approved to drive while taking. Once the drug is no longer needed, and the driver is no longer injured or ill, they go in for a re-certification physical and is returned to work with a new DOT physical. If the driver is too injured or too ill to drive, then they are automatically disqualified. But like most things, its ignored by drivers and the chances of anything really happening are slim.. but if there is an accident and the driver is found to be driving while sick or inured to the point of it effecting the driver's performance, the lawsuits would be something that no one would want to pay for.

 

What does that have to to with getting a dot medical card? If I break my leg I'll go out on medical leave.I won't loose my medical card for it though.
There are specific criteria required to be wrong to disqualify for a medical card. Where does it state one of the specific requirements are a temporary injury?

All those drugs you mentioned are specifically disqualified. Where is a temporary broken bone disqualified?

 

If you hold a medical card and lose your leg... are you still certified to drive on THAT medical card? If you lose an eye... are you still qualified to drive on THAT medical card? The issue here is whether or not the driver is currently working for a company or not. I don't think the OP is. If you are working for a company and get ill or injured, you WILL have to go through a medical recertification before being cleared to drive. PERIOD!

 

And all those are specifically disqualifying causes.

One last time. Where in the handbook or guidelines does it state a temporary bone break is disqualifying? Not generalities that have no meaning, but the specific wording this disqualifies one.

 

Not being physically able to get into, get out of or operate a truck is disqualifying in itself and unless you are not working and or not using a CDL at the time irrelevant.. if you want to drive and or get employed, you're going to have to get certified. A lot of companies will not accept a current medical card and before employment they will send the driver for a new re-certification to make sure that they are physically cleared to drive their equipment.

 

So you can't point out where it disqualifies one, but flat refuse to state that. Gotcha.