vision waiver

I95 I know you’re feeling all too well.
I am in school for a class A Lic. they give you a check up to get your med card. I knew I had something wrong with my left eye before I started school, just happened before school started and told them I was seeing a specialist. 20/200 in the bad eye 20/20 corrected in the right eye, you need 20/40 to pass the eye test. No mine cannot be fixed with glasses as it is nerve damage. After 2 of 3 needles in the bad eye I can see better but will never see good enough to pass the test, just failed my 2nd med card test yesterday. I can see objects with that eye so stop or caution signs are not the issue I just cannot see the words in them with the left eye, right is not an issue.

My Dr. did not fill out the right form for my waiver for the Fedgov. When my wife went looking for the form she found a number to call. When she called they told her about the 3 year driving rule. Thing is how do you get 3 years driving it if you can’t get a med card!
Wife talked to the school director today and he said he did not know of this 3 year rule. Someone told the wife you get a state waver first and drive local for the 3 years then get the Fedgov waiver. The big thing is I only live 10 miles from the N.Y. state line and I wanted to drive dedicated or regional.

Monday I have an appt to see the school director to get this all straighten out and if not then they will have to give back my money and will need to find something else for work.
Now what the director or the person the wife talked to does not know is I have a class B CDL I have had since 1983 and my med card expired 4/15/14 but have not used the class B in 30 years so maybe because I have a CDL already might help me?
I will let you know what happens after school on Monday.
Dave ----

 

Ok after some digging, what FMCSA told my wife and what my school found (not much as I told them most of this!) this is what I have found so far here in CT.

To get any CDL you need an up to date med card (MC) and if you fail the eye test you can get a waiver. As per FMCSA you first need to get a state waiver and use it for 3 years INTRASTATE (cannot go over state lines). You will need to document who you worked for and miles per year before you can get the FMCSA MC and then got interstate (over state lines).

I do not know if other states are the same or not but if you can’t get a FMCSA MC like me then this is the ONLY way I see it can be done. State waiver, use it 3 years intrastate then apply for the FMCSA MC. You will also need to get a yearly MC checkup because of the waiver .


Now what is hard for me on all this is a few things.
1: Needing to stay in state it cuts out a LOT of jobs and even more if I go class A. I hold a class B but no MC as of 4/2014
2: I live 10 miles from the N.Y. state line and most trucking Co’s go over the line. In 2 hours I can be across the state line on the other sides. Even local Co’s other than garbage or beverage truck drivers and at my age was not looking to bust my back.
3: Wife & I are looking to move in the next year and I don’t know if any time I have gotten on the 3 year rule will count to the other state?

So my plan is to check with the DMV in the state we want to move to and see if my time on the 3 year can move over and if not then may not get my class A now and save the $10K and see if I can find work with the class B.
Dave ----

 

Update:
I called FMCSA again about the 3 year intrastate thing and they said yes need to do 3 years intrastate. I then asked could I do 1 year where I am now and then do 2 years in another state and FMCSA said yes you can. After the 3 years I could then apply for the FMCSA waiver/get and drive interstate.

School was able to down load my state waiver (think it was under diabetes?). Had my eye Dr. fill it out made a copy for my records and in case it gets lost before getting were it needs to go and mailed it off last Friday. I was told by someone it could take 30 days before I get the waiver from the state. I hope not as I need the waiver to get my permit and I need the permit before the school will let me out driving. You can only do so many drop & hooks and pre-trip inspections.

So check with your state for their eye waiver. Do the 3 years intrastate then apply for the FMCSA waiver like I am doing.
Dave ----

 

I95runner,
Do you have a CDL now or wanting to get one?
If getting one are you in a school and if so what do they say?
Here in CT I got the ball rolling for a waiver by looking up diabetes or vision waiver, don’t remember now, on the DMV site maybe the NY site will have something too?
Did you see this?
http://dmv.ny.gov/commercial-drivers/medical-variances-and-new-v-restriction


Now when I made a call to see where I stood on the waiver I called CT DMV Commissioner medical dept. and they told me I had to fill out another form that you cannot down load so they sent it to me. I filled it out and sent it back and a few days later I had my waiver.
So try calling the head office of DMV in NY and tell them what is going on. They may not list anything on their web site and need to call them.
Again this is not a state ruling this comes from Fed.Gov. Needing to get a state waiver first, use it for 3 years in state before you can apply for the Fed. Gov. Waiver and get to drive out of state.

Update:
I received my CT state waiver a week ago late Saturday.
Now the letter I got with the waiver said I had 14 days to get it added to my class B lic. Or they would pull it. CT DMV is closed Sunday & Monday and the mail took time so I was down to 7 days! So I went Tuesday to get the waiver added to my class B lic. I also took my combination test for my class A permit and Tanker, Doubles & Triples endorsements.
Thing is I was so up that I got the permit & endorsements I did not check my class B lic. Or permit and they did not add the waiver restriction just the intrastate one and only to my class B lic. So had to go back and get that added the next day. I also had to tell them to charge me for the state road test or my golden rod paper would have been junk come skill/driving test day!

So I95 runner don’t trust the local DMV branch call the main office or commissioner as there has to be something or NY would not have truck drivers.
Good luck
Dave ----

 

Keitht1967 your not the bad guy your a ####### ! Someone who has one eye isn't qualified to drive a commercial vehicles is what your saying! Well if you ever get over around the northeast part of Ohio you get a hold of me and I'll show you a one eyed truck driver that is a better driver than 90% drivers with two! Then when you come to meet bring drivers abstract to compare with his then you two can do a driving test . And I GUARANTEE he will do better cause he has NEVER had to put lamps out to help him back up !! He hauls logs now out of the woods now all wait there's no street lights in the wood to help him see !!! If you've never been in someone's shoes don't judge them or rule them out !!! Anytime you want to see if one eyed people can't drive truck here is my email jvfd433@gmail.com and I will introduce you to him

 

I used to know a 1 eyed driver. One eye was glass .

 

I've been driving one eyed for the last five years. The only difference is in night / glare situations for me, so I just avoid those.....

 

just wondering with a intrastate cdl what can u haul with it ? I have read that you can only haul anything that is produced within state lines is this true?

 

You can haul anything you want. IN state.

You just can't leave the state.