Can you drive a truck with ADHD?

FMCSR 391.41 deals with driver qualifications.

391.41(b)(9)
A person is physically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle if that person:
Has no mental, nervous, organic, or functional disease or psychiatric disorder likely to interfere with the driver's ability to drive a commercial motor vehicle safely.
Emotional or adjustment problems contribute directly to an individual's level of memory, reasoning, attention, and judgment. These problems often underlie physical disorders. A variety of functional disorders can cause drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, weakness, or paralysis that may lead to incoordination, inattention, loss of functional control and susceptibility to crashes while driving. Physical fatigue, headache, impaired coordination, recurring physical ailments, and chronic "nagging" pain may be present to such a degree that certification for commercial driving is inadvisable. Somatic and psychosomatic complaints should be thoroughly examined when determining an individual's overall fitness to drive. Disorders of a periodically incapacitating nature, even in the early stages of development, may warrant disqualification.
Many bus and truck drivers have documented that "nervous trouble" related to neurotic, personality, emotional or adjustment problems is responsible for a significant fraction of their preventable crashes. The degree to which an individual is able to appreciate, evaluate and adequately respond to environmental strain and emotional stress is critical when assessing an individual's mental alertness and flexibility to cope with the stresses of commercial motor vehicle driving.
When examining the driver, it should be kept in mind that individuals who live under chronic emotional upsets may have deeply ingrained maladaptive or erratic behavior patterns. Excessively antagonistic, instinctive, impulsive, openly aggressive, paranoid or severely depressed behavior greatly interfere with the driver's ability to drive safely. Those individuals who are highly susceptible to frequent states of emotional instability (schizophrenia, affective psychoses, paranoia, anxiety or depressive neurosis) may warrant disqualification.
Careful consideration should be given to the side effects and interactions of medications in the overall qualification determination. See Psychiatric Conference Report for specific recommendations on the use of these medications and potential hazards for driving.
See Conference on Psychiatric Disorders and Commercial Drivers at: http://www.fmcsa.dot/rulesregs/medreports.htm

 

Tried to answer once but had connection issues so I will try again.

He should not have any issue getting a job or driving as long as he is not taking any medication for it. Since the meds are all Stimulants they cannot be taken while driving.

I have been ADHD and ADD all my life. It has never hurt my driving and may have even helped. Since a truck is always moving I am not sitting still. I am constantly looking around at everything around the truck. I do not get in the "lull of the road" as some do and zone out.
I have also never told any company that I am ADD. Never saw any reason too. None of there business.

I use to be allot more ADHD than I am now. But I grew out of most of it. Now I will just get a little restless at times. I will move around in my seat and move my legs more than is needed. Just to keep from sitting still.
He should not have any issue though. And probably would have a case against that company under the Americans with Disability's Act if he really wanted too.

 

Heck I do it daily, Never diagnosed, but my son was and he's just like I was at that age. Never took any drugs for it, but he did when he was very young just starting school. Turned him into a zombie for his teachers and that didn't work for his mom and I so we told them to learn to keep him busy.
I can't see a problem for your brother if he is not on any meds.

MO

 

391.41(b)(12)
A person is physically qualified to drive a commercial vehicle if that person:
Does not use a controlled substance identified in 21 CFR 1308.11, Schedule I, an amphetamine, a narcotic, or any other habit-forming drug.


Exception: A driver may use such a substance or drug, if the substance or drug is prescribed by a licensed medical practitioner who is familiar with the driver's medical history and assigned duties; and has advised the driver that the prescribed substance or drug will not adversely affect the driver's ability to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle.

So, according to this rule your brother can drive while taking a medication if it is prescribed and the doctor says it won't impair his ability to drive.

The only exception to the exception is methodone. It is the only disqualifying drug.

 

The company can let you go or not hire you if they don't want the medical problem that so many of the misinformed have about ADD ADHD. Yes the AWDA could be used against them but why? If you do, there is a record, the lawyer gets the money not you and that will follow you for the rest of your life, and you might never get hired at any job!

Just go somewhere else, don't tell them about ADHD or ADD and don't sign anything releasing your medical records to anyone!

 

Adderol is like speed. That's why they told him that. Just tell him not to tell the next company he has ADD.

 

wrong. adderal will test positive for amphetamines. however if you get a note from your dr. youll be fine.

 

Adderall is amphetamine salt. It is speed if you are not ADHD. If you are ADHD, it should have the opposite effect of speed.

But to answer the original question, if you take amphetamines for ADHD you might just as well be up front about it.. The first thing you'll do is take a leak in a cup anywhere you get a job driving and it will be positive. An MRO will then call you to verify that you have a valid prescription and if so will downgrade your result to a negative.. This will be so everytime you get called on for a random, premployment, or any DOT screening..

So... Other than that it's really none of their buisness whatever drugs you may be taking, but beware, the system doesn't favor truck drivers taking amphetamines..

It's the same overall "guilty until proving you're innocent" treatment that you
get as a truck driver..