To improve highway safety, the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 was passed resulting in the formation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). New regulations were put into place that required the compliance of interstate commercial truck and bus companies to meet certain standards of operation. Compliance reviews are required periodically for the on-site examination of the company operations to ensure that the carrier maintains a satisfactory safety fitness standard.
Included among the regulations for a carrier to maintain the required FMCSA certification in satisfactory order is driver qualification. For a driver to successfully meet the requirements for a commercial driver's license, the driver must pass a medical DOT physical examination every two years or less if there's a medical condition that requires monitoring. The DOT physical must be performed by a licensed medical professional who may be a doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy or chiropractic, a physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse.
The medical examiner will file a DOT Medical Examination Report if the driver is determined to be physically qualified. Another copy of the report is given to the driver. Drivers must supply a copy of medical certificate or medical card that may be purchased and signed by the medical examiner in order to renew the commercial driver's license. A license will not be issued or renewed without a current certificate.
To receive a commercial driver's license, one must be in good general health. The driver may wear glasses but vision must be at least 20/40 in both eyes with a 70 degree field of vision. The colors green, red, and amber must be recognizable. If there is a loss or impairment of a limb, a skills test may qualify a driver for the medical certificate. Inability to pass the evaluation will result in denial of the license. Diabetics who are dependent on injectable insulin will not be passed. Oral insulin treatment that maintains blood sugar below 200 is acceptable. Blood pressure must be below 160/100 with or without medication. Drivers with cardiovascular or heart disease must pass a stress test and renew the DOT physical in one year instead of two.
There are other conditions that could prevent passing the DOT physical including drug or alcohol dependence, sleep apnea, psychiatric disorder, back injuries, or recent surgery. These regulations help to protect the safety of drivers as well as everyone else on the road to minimize the occurrences of accidents that are so often fatal when commercial trucks and buses are involved.
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