Disabeled

I have to take 4 different meds for my condition. some of them are Harsh, however none of them cause drowsiness or any other condition that prohibits driving.

 

I take a combination of two meds, neither of which are "pain pills" per se. One is an anti-inflamatory, the other a low-dose antidepressant. They work on pain from two different directions: one by treating the source, the other by closing the pathway the brain has created for itself to register pain. It's complicatedd, but it makes this tolerable. I have psoriatic arthritis, mostly affects my shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. There is sometimes an issue at the sacro-iliac joints and wrists. Overall, I just use different body mechanics to accomplish things...and get funny looks occasionally for how I move.

Regarding narcotic pain meds: best advice I can give is just leave them home. DOT and most company safety departments look narrowly on carrying narcotics in a CMV.

 

The quick answer is yes. It will probably require some communications with the recruiting department of whatever company you end up at. If it were me, I'd go so far as trying to get a signed letter from my company stating that they know of my medical condition and limitations.

I posted what follows in another thread so I just copied & pasted it here but it's a good little story. I saw this driver one day in Oklahoma City while fueling up at the Pilot.

"I'm in one island, minding my own business, fueling the truck and this driver pulls up to the next island. I don't pay it too much attention until I see the door swing open and this guy is sitting there. Not one of your more attractive fellows I can remember thinking. He then lays this metal bar thing on his floorboard and procedes to exit the truck. It took him a good 30 - 40 seconds to get himself out of the truck. [I'm paying attention at this point] Once he got that accomplished he reached up and grabbed that metal bar, which ended up being two of those walking cane things that sort of attach to the elbows and has the handle sticking out for his hand. Anyway, he started walking over to the pump and I could see immediately that he must be suffering from cerebral palsy or something. I didn't talk to him but I know I was just blown away. Here's this guy with a very debilitating condition that wasn't letting anything stop him. He was making his own money, living on the road and driving an 80 ton truck down the road. It was just awesome!"

 

There are a lot of guys and gals working with some limited mobility, but for the most part you must be able to sit for hours at a time to do this job. Drivers must be able to climb up into a trailer 48 inches off the ground and carry at least 50 lbs. These are minimum DOT physical requirements. Listed on the DOT medical long form are medical conditions that doctors are required to screen for. You will find The mega Fleets will exclude you with pre-existing medical problems like back injuries or pain unless you have a MD sign a release form stating you are able to preform the duties outlined by the company. Other conditions excluded are heart surgery or broken bones, heart disease, liver functions, muscular and skelton problems, respiratory or nervous system dysfunction. As the job is a Labor Based function you are required to meet the min federal medical certification before being allowed to apply for a permit to operate a CMV. When you qualify, you will need to pass the DOT State written exam and Federal DOT driving skills test at a 3rd party CDL testing agency. The cost is about 4000.00 dollars to become a OTR Driver. If you get hired by a training company you will be financing the cost with a contract of employement. If you quit they and put a Lien on future earnings and destroy your credit rating.

Look carefully at all the details (how to become a truck driver) and if you are still wanting to Drive OTR , I say 'Go For It'.

 

Just a little FYI..........

http://www.truckmed.com/doctors.htm

 

Even smaller companies require a doctor's release for many conditions. I believe this is both FMCSA and insurance.