DOT Physical

In the case of a DOT physical, the medical examiner has by the end of the next business day to report the results of that physical into the database. Do all MEs report failures? I have no idea. If they do the reason for the failure will be in the database. If it is a pending more information situation the driver will have to supply that information. Now! If you caught the Mumps or something like Hepatitis over the years the medical examiner is not going to know this and to be honest won't care. What they are going to care about is that driver health history set of questions and the answers provided. Several weeks ago a driver I know told me he went to get a physical and the ME detected something wrong with his heart. The ME would not certify the driver until he had an EKG done. That EKG came back with something wrong. The driver had to have a stress test done. The stress test came back he was in the beginning of congestive heart failure and is done driving. @brian991219 can get deeper into this subject. The FMCSA is placing more of the decision-making on the examiners and they in turn are wanting more and more health history from the driver's family Physicians if they have any questions. Unfortunately, if you tell an ME you are not going to provide this history they are NOT going to give you a medical card. Then they are going to place your information in the database. If you attempt to go see another ME as soon as that ME attempts to enter the new physical that entry will get flagged for human review. If they find the 2nd physical does not mention the 1st failed physical the FMCSA will toss that 2nd physical. I suggest all drivers tread carefully when asked for follow-up information by that examiner.

 

They have not here in CA.But no matter. DMV takes the last physical, and here in CA you the driver have to turn it into DMV. If you dont your class a will not be recoginized by DMV.

 

I think there is a misunderstanding about what gets reported to whom. The FMCSA transmits ALL medical data to the CDLIS, NOT the DMVs. It is the aim of the FMCSA to have ALL medical data part of the CDLIS along with CDL data and drivers will no longer have to carry a medical card. In fact, some MEs won't give the driver the long form unless the driver asks for it. @brian991219 may have more information on this topic, but I am of the understanding there is a compliance date for all states to get their medical data from the CDLIS NOT the driver.

Because of the way the FMCSA handles the medical data, a driver can have ONLY ONE valid physical. As I stated in my previous comment. If you go see a 2nd ME after a failed physical and when that 2nd physical gets transmitted by the ME to the FMCSA it will get flagged for human review if the first ME reported the failure, some do some don't. I was speaking to a friend that works for a large carrier in safety. She told me not long ago they were notified by the insurance carrier that one of their drivers had a driver's license that was no longer a Class A. They yanked the driver and sent him home on a bus. Turns out he went to Concentra and got stuck in that OSA boondoggle. Tried to get another physical and the FMCSA yanked it out of the CDLIS, then the state took action. The driver was out of work for almost a month. He did get a sleep study, got a 1-year card and the state gave him back his CDL. This is the 5th story I have heard about the FMCSA yanking a physical out of the CDLIS. To be clear, there is NOTHING wrong with a 2nd opinion. The problem comes when the driver fails to mention the 1st physical to the 2nd ME.

 

The deadline for full compliance is June 2025. After June 23, 2025 the results must be electronically transmitted and no paper certificate will be issued to a CDL or CLP holder, only non-CDL commercial drivers will still have a paper medical certificate.

Various states are at different levels of compliance, example my home state of Pennsylvania is not even close to ready and has asked for another extension while several other states already have full electronic transmission and recording of results.

This rule began being implemented as early as 2015 with monthly reporting in 2018 and full compliance was originally planned for last year but several states were not ready.

 

Thank you! I could have done the research but honestly, I am so weak I am barely able to sit for longer than maybe 10 minutes at a time. I have an appointment with my Neurologist set for tomorrow. I am 3 weeks out from Keri's due date and if I can't get my strength back I am not going anywhere.