DOT exam for CDL permit

Hope someone can answer this for me. I'm going to apply for my CDL permit and have already scheduled to take the knowledges exams. Will I need to take a DOT exam before I'm allowed to take the knowledge exams? I will be getting the CDL permit on my own and not going thru a truck driving school as of yet. Just wanted to get the easy stuff out of the way so I wont have cram for everything at the trucking school.
I will be applying for the permit in Texas.


Thank you!

 

Well, I made a few phones calls and found out I will need to take a DOT physical in order to take my knowledge test.
I was also referred to fmcsa.dot.gov to look a certified DOT doctor and will be calling tomorrow to get it done.



Thanks!

 

I don’t remember having to get a physical before the license, used to that came afterwards.
But...
that was before you had to have certified doctors(whom pay them money to be chosen) to do the tests and no extra trip to DMV.

thats why no one knows wth is going on, they change the rules every other day it seems

 

Actually, as of early February you have to take a driver training school. The days if doing it yourself are now a thing of the past.

 

I got my permit in March or April of 2019. I had to have a DOT card in order to take a test.
The basic logic is that with passing the permit test and being granted a permit, you can operate a commercial vehicle. In order to do that legally, you have to pass and obtain that DOT physical card. If you can't obtain a medical card, you can't drive a CMV, so gotta have it before they even let you take the test. Waste of everybody's time and efforts to administer the tests when the applicant couldn't medically qualify to begin with. That's why step 1 is actually getting that medical card.

 

I hope you did not or do not go to Concentra for your exam!!

 

I forget the name of the place. It was basically just a regular clinic, nothing special or specifically geared toward DOT physicals. But, they performed them.
I'm a Swifty and Swift has several of their own clinics. I have gone to those since because they don't cost me anything. I have no medical issues of concern. But, due to one medication I tkae that is a blood pressure medicine, I have to get annual physicals instead of bi-annual. I don’t have blood pressure problems, I take it for an off label purpose.

 

So I visited my PCP today and I told her I need a letter because of my past history regarding surgeries which was my gallbladder removal and my fracture jaw. Ok she asks me that she can give me a progress note and she puts on there my mental health from the past and past substance abuse, medications and made it like a pre-employment note with her ending the note with saying that I’m fit in her book to get my CDL. Because I got half way approved to get my CDL with a program called WOIA in my county. Also got approved so far to go to the school near me. Tho my b/p was 149/93. She also mentioned my asthma -intermittent,anxiety, bi polar disorder, depression and panic attacks which she states in this note that I’m ok. Pretty much it’s a progress note that gives the doctor a run down on me. Thank you for your help I’m just worried. I really want to get into this school and trucking is what I want to do with my life.

 

I get mine at the CVS clinic

if you go To the cvs clinic website you can make an appointment and one of the drop down reasons for making the appt is DOT physical

when you go for the DOT physical
Remember , it’s not a physical to find pother possible health issues like a physical at a normal doctor

the DOT physical is the doctor trying to find a reason to fail you and not give you a medical card

So when they ask questions , your answer snood be :
“I sleep well. I don’t snore .
I have no health issues I’m aware of that would interfere with driving a truck “

keep your answers short and to the point . Yes or no etc

if your BP is an issue .
I find that for me the best BP numbers is obtained by making the appointment for the morning , and I don’t drink ANYTHING after I wake up .
I used to drink a bottle of water on the drive there so I had plenty of ammo for the urine test ,
But that increases my BP by about 10-15 points

they don’t need much Urine anyway
It’s not a drug test
It’s to test for sugar to find out if you have uncontrolled diabetes.

 

Thank you, tho the CDL school said that they will send me to this place called Emergency One in my area. Btw so you think I shouldn’t give that paperwork to them (DOT)? Tho the reason why my PCP gave it to me is because my surgery on my gallbladder the scars that it left it’s quite noticeable.