Information

With these strict guidelines, D.O.T physicals can sometimes seem overwhelming. A D.O.T physical follows strict guidelines mandated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), ensuring that commercial drivers and other safety-sensitive employees are in good health to work and operate a motor vehicle safely. If your employees are designated as "safety-sensitive" for the Department of Transportation (D.O.T) or carry a Commerical Driver's License (C.D.L), they are required to have a D.O.T physical to be compliant and maintain employment.

To help simplify the process, here is a brief overview of what your employees should have with them for the exam, and what to expect once they get there. Commercial drivers need to bring a complete list of their medications, including the dosage, dosage regimen, and their doctors’ names and addresses. To save time, it’s also recommended that drivers fill out the health history questionnaire prior to performing physical examination. To make sure the exam runs as smoothly as possible, drivers with certain medical issues need to have with them the appropriate documents or items. For example:

• Drivers with vision or hearing problems must bring their eyeglasses, contacts, or hearing aids
• Drivers with diabetes must bring the most recent lab results from their Hemoglobin A1C (HgAIC) and their blood sugar logs
• Drivers with heart-related issues must, at minimum, bring a letter from their cardiologist that outlines their medical history and current medications, and indicates that they are safe to work

1. Hearing

Drivers must be able to perceive what is known as a “forced whisper” at a distance of 5 ft or less, with or without a hearing aid. This standard equates to an average hearing loss in the better ear of less than 40 dB.

2. Vision

Drivers are required to have at least 20/40 acuity in each eye with or without correction. They are also required to have at least 70” peripheral in the horizontal meridian, measured in each eye.

3. Blood pressure

The certified medical examiner will check the driver's blood pressure and pulse to look for high blood pressure and irregular heartbeats.

49 CFR 391.43(f)

An individual whose BP is less than 140/90 and it’s on antihypertensive medications may be certified for one year. An individual diagnosed with Stage 1 hypertension (BP is 140/90 - 159/99) may be certified for one year. At recertification, an individual with a BP less than or equal to 140/90 may be certified for one year; however, if his or her blood pressure is greater than 140/90 but less than 160/100, a one-time certificate for three months can be issued. An individual diagnosed with Stage 2 hypertension (BP is 160/100 - 179/109) should be treated and a one-time certification for 3-month can be issued. Once the driver has reduced his or her BP to less than or equal to 140/90, he or she may be recertified annually thereafter. An individual diagnosed with Stage 3 hypertension (BP greater than 180/110) should not be certified until his or her BP is reduced to less than or equal to 140/90, and may be recertify every six months.

4. Urinalysis

A urinalysis is required. The test looks for indications of underlying medical conditions such as diabetes.

5. Texas D.O.T Physicals Examination

The physical exam will cover a dozen different categories:

• General appearance
• Eyes (cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, etc.)
• Ears (scarring of tympanic membrane, perforated ear drums, etc.)
• Mouth and throat (to look for problems breathing or swallowing)
• Heart (murmurs, extra sounds, pacemaker, etc.)
• Lungs and chest, not including breast examination (abnormal breathing, impaired respiratory functions,      cyanosis, etc.)
• Abdomen and Viscera (enlarged liver, viscera, muscle weakness)
• Vascular (abnormal pulse, carotid, varicose veins)
• Genito-urinary (hernias)
• Extremities (limb impaired)
• Spine, other musculoskeletal (previous surgery, limitation of motion, tenderness, etc.)
• Neurological (impaired equilibrium, coordination or speech pattern, ataxia, asymmetric deep tendon reflexes)