Hearing requirements for DOT physical

In 12 years of driving I have been tested twice for hearing as part of the DOT physical, it all depends on the company. Unless you are declared as legaly deaf there should be no problem.

Out of couriosity how often do need to have your hearig aids checked? Or to make sure the are effective??

BTW I deleted your other identical post on this subject, one thread on a subject per day is enough....

 

I have been tested every time I had a physical. But I am deaf in my left ear maybe that has something to do with it.

 

Wow pretty soon anybody who ever drove a 318 Detroit will be disqualified I guess.

 

That's enough to put you deaf.........

 

The 92 series is just as bad if not worse...They didn't call it the silver bullet for it's color....

 

As long as you can hear anything and understand many of spoken words with or without hearing aids, you shouldn't have any problems. No one can say you're disqualified except the DOT examination doctors. So my advice is wear your hearing aids on your next DOT physical due. If you aren't sure, get a hearing test with your hearing aid on in a soundproof room before you see DOT physical doctor. When working for an employer, they MUST accomodate your needs relating to your hearing loss at your request.

 

I wear two hearing aids, and yes, I drove screamin' 238s in 1960s Cracker Box Jimmies. My DOT doctor uses the "forced whisper" test. Of course, I pass the hearing test because I turn up the volume before entering the doctor's office. He declines to enter "hearing aids required" on my DOT card. He says that it involves too much paperwork. I assume an audiometer graph must be included with the results of the DOT physical. My doctor says, "You can hear this conversation, can't you?" He knows that I can understand male voices at normal conversational volume in a small room with good acoustics, without hearing aids. I tell the doctor that I always have my hearing aids in order to understand a woman police officer. Then, I tell my dispatcher/supervisor that I received another card without the hearing aid requirement. I always have spare batteries in my pocket.

 

I've never had any doctor do anything more that the "10 foot whisper" test on me and I seem to pass it with no problems. all DOT requires is that you be able to hear at a reasonable level. In fact, the entire DOT physical is pretty much minimal, and if you can fog a mirror, you can probably pass it with no real issues to contend with. I have some hearing loss from the Navy, a combination of 2 stroke Detroits and screaming jet engines all day long, but I still hear well enough to get on down the highway.

 

I don't know about the requirement for hearing aids or no. They usually do the "forced whisper" test. One time, they asked me if I could hear a clock ticking. I often get the whole beep boop headphone audiometer test too, but it's stupid, because you can hear the doctor pushing the button, and just raise your hand, even if you didn't hear the sound.

Personally, I think the hearing requirement is asinine anyway. I think the idea is they want to make sure you can hear emergency vehicles, but how can you possibly hear an emergency vehicle over the engine, the turbo, the wind blowing past the mirrors, your CB, etc. anyway? You can't.