New DOT physical test?

You may not have seen it, but there were a number of accidents involving drivers who shouldn't have been on the road. In the past DOT exams were a joke, now things are taken a bit more seriously. Still there are plenty of examiners with their own agenda as this thread points out. I do think there is a problem however, when an M.D. can't do a physical, but a chiropractor can simply because one took a government class and the other didn't.

 

If it were a real problem, everyone would need a medical card to operate any kind of vehicle on the roads. They bite off as much as they think they can without causing revolt. If everyone on the road had to run a logbook, while on vacation, etc., there would be revolt by morning.

 

The only thing the FMCSA can regulate is the professional driver. Everything else falls under state jurisdiction. This is why we have a more stringent test to even get a license than the average teen getting behind the wheel of their car. It may not seem fair, but that is how the law and the constitution work.

Just remember, the whole purpose of the CDL was to get rid of the cowboys who endangered lives. They had multiple driver's licenses and could hide tickets. It was dangerous behavior on the part of drivers and their companies that forced the feds to step in and create the FMCSA in an effort to clean-up the trucking industry. We are our own worst enemies.

As far as the medical requirements, just sit in your truck and watch as drivers struggle to walk across a parking lot. They don't even look healthy, yet they are operating a vehicle that can weigh up to 40 tons and they need to be able to react quickly. I'm not saying we should all be athletes, or even in perfect health. I am saying that we should be healthy enough to concentrate outside of the truck and not on our ailments. I get needing to make a living as well. I'm an o/o and need to keep this truck running. Of course this thread started because some clinic decided to ignore the federal guidelines and do their own thing.

 

So one piece of the government sees unhealthy people on the road, as a problem, but the other pieces apparently don't. Most of these regulations come from politicians pandering for votes, and have very little to do with safety, same as gun control laws, knee jerk, overreactions.

 

place like this need to understand the word REQUIRED and RECOMMEND, not the same...... just like sleep apnea testing isn't REQUIRED....!!

 

not sure about your state but in TN you just fax it to dmv with a follow up call to make sure they got it....= FREE

 

Never heard of that,,,I just had mine done at occupational health at local hospital ,,in April,,, and never heard of that. so their going to fail you if you can't hold breath,, Wow

 

The last company I worked for used a Chiropractor for their physicals. He wasn't worried about my weight, blood pressure, breathing, or any real DOT issue. He was worried about the fact my right foot "toes out." Sometimes I think these examiners are just looking for an excuse to make more money by offering additional treatment.