Should you get your own pre-hire DOT physical

I always used the cheap chiroquackers when I had to pay for the DOT. Why pay 130 bucks when I can get the same thing for 30? Most co's require their own doc anyway and pay for it because they know the game. Many drivers can't pass the exam under a magnifying glass, but their own doc would keep them rolling.

I never had issues passing either way, but if it is up to me to pay guess which route I am taking? A lot of co's will pay for the exam, but if you quit them deduct it out of your last check.

 

do they check for hernias on the DOT physical? i have one but it doesnt interfer with my driving abilities.

 

Yes they do check for them. But, just because you have one doesn't mean you won't pass but if it's a company dr that's a different story. They will likely not pass you because the added "expense" you could be.

 

I'm so depressed. I just got back from my DOT physical, my first one ever for pre-CDL school, and the PA was so blatantly anti-fat.

Usually my BP is around 120-125, today it was 149. As a result, he told me he could only give me a 3 month DOT card and told me to find a primary to get some BP meds. He also suggested I go to a sleep study for apnea despite me never having trouble sleeping and feeling well rested after a night's sleep. He even went so far as to say that, despite the sleep studies being super expensive and I'm without insurance, I ought to do it anyways.

I'm so worried now that if I take out a loan, go to CDL school, I'll be stuck without a job because I'm over the 140 BP and this stupid PA said I might have sleep apnea. He never mentioned anything about the 25# I lost over summer and my goal for losing this weight.

Should I even bother going to school? Will I even be able to find a job after I graduate because of this? I really want to drive truck, but I won't even bother jumping through the hoops if this will hold me back.

 

Don't lose hope! So far everything that you've mentioned can be changed. Blood pressure and general heart health is a huge deal in the trucking industry. A driver driving a truck who has passed out due to complications from a stroke or a heart attack can easily become an unguided missile down the highway.

Maybe you had white coat syndrome (where your blood pressure increases in anticipation at the sight of a doctor). When I had my physical, my blood pressure was 127 over 89. I was told to lie down in the dark for 15 minutes by the nurse. Usually this technique is supposed to relax you, but both the nurse and the doctor were shocked when the reading was higher when they came back (133 over 100). I almost failed, but was given another chance.

Water is supposed to naturally help with blood pressure. Have less salt, and try to reduce the amount of stressors in your life. But never give up pursuing something. Just do it!

 

I definitely am doing my best to eat healthier on a shoe string budget.

However, your BP of 127/89 is really good. The industry standard is 120/80. I usually run about 120-125/82-85. It's been a very stressful time for me. I got laid off, I have to move back home, I'm trying to get into CDL school to start a decent career that I'll do for the rest of my life, and yes, I don't like doctors. I think they're all quacks. That coupled with me starting up smoking again from the stress doesn't help.

They said the federal regulation is 140/90 or some such number.

If I honestly can't pass a company's physical with high BP, will I always be out of a job?


edit: Found this thread: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/crst/123150-blood-preasure.html So I ought to be okay with securing employment. I'm still a bit worried, but this is what I want to do so I'm going for it regardless.

 

I was denied a medical certificate once after failing the BP 3X. I asked for another nurse and BP meter thingy. Then my BP was normal and I passed.
That was years ago but have high BP now. I'm on 10 mg Lisinopril and now have the BP of a trained athlete! Monitor your BP and get on it if neccessary.

Another thing people should avoid is eating sugar before you go. It can give a false high reading when they check that. Then they think you have diabetes.

 

I just got the bad news from my VA doctor today. He's familiar with the DOT physical & I asked him if I would pass. He said, "Definitely NOT!" My knee is gone and I can't do the squat test. That combined with my sleep apnea means my dreams of a return to driving are gone. The VA will do a knee replacement but it'll be 10 months from now because of a backlog. I'm unemployed now & my unemployment runs out in early December (unless Congress passes another extension)

So if ya see a homeless bum wandering around your Dallas terminal in the next few months. It might be me.

I'm not a wanna-be. I'm a usedta-was

 

Ok, so BMI is not required yet but is coming? And my experience has been that my physical won't be accepted unless I have the long form and I don't get that unless I pay for the physical. And sometimes not then.