New Medical Certification Requirements:

[OntarioVanMan]

New Medical Certification Requirements: A Guide for Commercial Driver


Starting January 30, 2012 and no later than January 30, 2014, all CDL holders must provide information to their SDLA regarding the type of commercial motor vehicle operation they drive in or expect to drive in with their CDL. Drivers operating in certain types of commerce will be required to submit a current medical examiner’s certificate to their SDLA to obtain a “certified” medical status as part of their driving record. CDL holders required to have a ”certified” medical status who fail to provide and keep up-to-date their medical examiner’s certificate with their SDLA will become ”not-certified” and they may lose their CDL.

What is changing? State driver licensing agencies (SDLAs) will be adding your medical certification status and the information on your medical examiner’s certificate to your Commercial driver’s license system (CDLIS) record.

When does this change start? This change starts on January 30, 2012.

What is not changing? The driver physical qualification requirements are not changing.

What are CDL holders required to do?

You must determine what type of commerce you operate in. You must certify to your SDLA to one of the four types of commerce you operate in as listed below,
Interstate non-excepted: You are an Interstate non-excepted driver and must meet the Federal DOT medical card requirements (e.g. – you are “not excepted”).

Interstate excepted: You are an Interstate excepted driver and do not have to meet the Federal DOT medical card requirements.

Intrastate non-excepted: You are an Intrastate non-excepted driver and are required to meet the medical requirements for your State.

Intrastate excepted: You are an Intrastate excepted driver and do not have to meet the medical requirements for your State.
If you are subject to the DOT medical card requirements, provide a copy of each new DOT medical card to your SDLA prior to the expiration of the current DOT medical card.

SEE BOLD this would be cargo vans...that don't do hazmat.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Guido mentioned to me that a NEW requirement for a DOT physical that a doctor has to be an approved DOT physician....I've found NO reference to this except maybe getting confused with this language....


A Department of Transportation (DOT) physical examination is conducted by a licensed "medical examiner." The term includes, but is not limited to, doctors of medicine (MD), doctors of osteopathy (DO), physician assistants (PA), advanced practice nurses (APN), and doctors of chiropractic (DC).

 

[guido4475]

Guido mentioned to me that a NEW requirement for a DOT physical that a doctor has to be an approved DOT physician....I've found NO reference to this except maybe getting confused with this language....


A Department of Transportation (DOT) physical examination is conducted by a licensed "medical examiner." The term includes, but is not limited to, doctors of medicine (MD), doctors of osteopathy (DO), physician assistants (PA), advanced practice nurses (APN), and doctors of chiropractic (DC).

A pm or phone call would of been more respectable, but since you are home bored already....

From what I am getting form the below article, the one I got my info from, telling you on the phone, is that I think the doctor who gives a DOT physical now has to be DOT certified by a certain future date.

The Secretary of Transportation (DOT) Ray LaHood has issued a new safety rule to address the unique demands associated with this profession. The ultimate goal of the rule is to reduce the prevalence of deadly truck accidents caused by fatigued or otherwise incapable truckers.
This rule requires "healthcare professionals who perform medical examinations for interstate truck and bus drivers to be trained, tested and certified on the specific physical qualifications that affect a driver's ability to safely operate the vehicle." These exams review the driver's overall medical fitness, including a check for cardiovascular disease as well as any issues with respiratory and muscular functions.
New Rule Intended to Ensure Safety
Commercial drivers are required to pass a DOT medical exam every two years to obtain a valid medical certificate, commercial driver's license and legally drive a commercial vehicle. Doctor's performing the medical examination must complete a Medical Examination Report reviewing the driver's health history, vision, hearing, blood pressure and complete a comprehensive physical exam. The exam includes an evaluation of the employee's general appearance, lungs and chest, vascular system, extremities, spine and neurological functions.
Secretary LaHood states the motivation behind the use of specially qualified doctors is to ensure safety on the nation's roadways. Those employed as commercial truck drivers have a unique set of physical and mental demands while on the job.
The rule is designed to make sure doctors who examine these professionals are well aware of the demands the driver's must meet while on the road. Failure to take unfit drivers off the roads increases the likelihood of devastating accidents.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)'s Administrator agrees with the ruling, stating it "raises the bar for safety." The rule is scheduled to go into effect May 21, 2014.

 

[guido4475]

New Medical Certification Requirements: A Guide for Commercial Driver


Starting January 30, 2012 and no later than January 30, 2014, all CDL holders must provide information to their SDLA regarding the type of commercial motor vehicle operation they drive in or expect to drive in with their CDL. Drivers operating in certain types of commerce will be required to submit a current medical examiner’s certificate to their SDLA to obtain a “certified” medical status as part of their driving record. CDL holders required to have a ”certified” medical status who fail to provide and keep up-to-date their medical examiner’s certificate with their SDLA will become ”not-certified” and they may lose their CDL.

What is changing? State driver licensing agencies (SDLAs) will be adding your medical certification status and the information on your medical examiner’s certificate to your Commercial driver’s license system (CDLIS) record.

When does this change start? This change starts on January 30, 2012.

What is not changing? The driver physical qualification requirements are not changing.

What are CDL holders required to do?

You must determine what type of commerce you operate in. You must certify to your SDLA to one of the four types of commerce you operate in as listed below,
Interstate non-excepted: You are an Interstate non-excepted driver and must meet the Federal DOT medical card requirements (e.g. – you are “not excepted”).

Interstate excepted: You are an Interstate excepted driver and do not have to meet the Federal DOT medical card requirements.

Intrastate non-excepted: You are an Intrastate non-excepted driver and are required to meet the medical requirements for your State.

Intrastate excepted: You are an Intrastate excepted driver and do not have to meet the medical requirements for your State.
If you are subject to the DOT medical card requirements, provide a copy of each new DOT medical card to your SDLA prior to the expiration of the current DOT medical card.

SEE BOLD this would be cargo vans...that don't do hazmat.

From what I just posted in my previous reply and what you posted, above, these are 2 different topics, not easily confused. This is old news, by the way, as I did this over the summer for the state of Ohio already.

 

[scottm4211]

Have you two considered counselling?

 

[LDB]

Don't forget the county coroner and the various morgue "medical examiners".

 

[blizzard2014]

Truck driving is never going to be a healthy lifestyle. So trying to find fit drivers is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. They are going to regulate so many drivers out of the business that there will be an even higher shortage of drivers.

A lot of people have no interest in driving trucks. That includes all of the people who are currently out of work in this bad economy. The government is going to be whining about how no one wants to drive a truck after they get done with all of their "over the top regulations!"

I'm personally very mad at trucking. I used to be thin, fit, and in good health before I sat behind the wheel of my first truck. After two years on the road I gained 70 pounds and it's been a downhill battle with weight ever since... I blame it all on the truck! But I was happy to be out there like a modern day cowboy traversing the country with my cigarettes, coffee, cheetoes, and satellite radio!

 

[guido4475]

Truck driving is never going to be a healthy lifestyle. So trying to find fit drivers is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. They are going to regulate so many drivers out of the business that there will be an even higher shortage of drivers.

A lot of people have no interest in driving trucks. That includes all of the people who are currently out of work in this bad economy. The government is going to be whining about how no one wants to drive a truck after they get done with all of their "over the top regulations!"

I'm personally very mad at trucking. I used to be thin, fit, and in good health before I sat behind the wheel of my first truck. After two years on the road I gained 70 pounds and it's been a downhill battle with weight ever since... I blame it all on the truck! But I was happy to be out there like a modern day cowboy traversing the country with my cigarettes, coffee, cheetoes, and satellite radio!

I' like you, feel the same way, but realized it is not really trucking that is the whole culprit for being out of shape, but the lack of discipline on my part, knowing and seeing full well that my jeans size would get bigger size by size, year after year, while doing nothing about it, to the point where I am at today. I am now doing something about it, and it is a tough battle, one that will not be conquered overnight, but over time. I keep telling myself this will not be easy, and to be patient with this.My first goal is to lose 75 pounds. Then after that, we'll see about the second goal.

 

[Turtle]

Interstate excepted: You are an Interstate excepted driver and do not have to meet the Federal DOT medical card requirements.
...
SEE BOLD this would be cargo vans...that don't do hazmat.

Not really. If you don't have a CDL in the first place, like a cargo van driver who doesn't haul HAZMAT, then none of the new medical certification requirements apply at all. Interstate Excepted is defined as the following type of commerce:

If the only type of commercial driving you do is one of the following excepted activities, then you operate in excepted interstate commerce and do not need to submit a federal medical examiner's certificate.

• Transporting school children and/or school staff between home and school;
• Driving as a federal, state or local government employee;
• Transporting human corpses, or sick or injured persons;
• Operating a fire truck or rescue vehicle during emergencies and other related activities;
• Primarily transporting propane winter heating fuel when responding to an emergency condition requiring immediate response such as damage to a propane gas system after a storm or flooding;
• Responding to a pipeline emergency condition requiring immediate response such as a pipeline leak or rupture;
• Working in custom harvesting on a farm or to transport farm machinery and supplies used in the custom harvesting operation to and from a farm or to transport custom harvested crops to storage or market;
• Working as a beekeeper in the seasonal transportation of bees;
• Operating a vehicle controlled and operated by a farmer, but not a combination vehicle (power unit and towed unit), that is used to transport agricultural products, farm machinery or farm supplies, but not placardable hazardous materials, to and from a farm and within 150 air miles of the farm;
• Driving as a private motor carrier of passengers for nonbusiness purposes; or
• Transporting migrant workers.

If your commercial driving does not include any of the activities listed above, then you operate in non-excepted interstate commerce and are required to provide a current medical examiner's certificate (49 CFR 391.45), commonly referred to as a medical certificate or DOT card.

However, if you don't drive a Commercial Motor Vehicle and don't have a CDL, then none of these new regulations apply to you at all.

----------------

Guido mentioned to me that a NEW requirement for a DOT physical that a doctor has to be an approved DOT physician....I've found NO reference to this except maybe getting confused with this language....


A Department of Transportation (DOT) physical examination is conducted by a licensed "medical examiner." The term includes, but is not limited to, doctors of medicine (MD), doctors of osteopathy (DO), physician assistants (PA), advanced practice nurses (APN), and doctors of chiropractic (DC).

National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners

From the upper right hand corner of that page:

"The National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (National Registry) is a new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) program. It requires all medical examiners (MEs) who wish to perform physical examinations for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers to be trained and certified in FMCSA physical qualification standards. Medical examiners who have completed the training and successfully passed the test are included in an online directory on the National Registry website."


The FMCSA FINAL RULE:
National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners - Final Rule

SUMMARY: FMCSA establishes a National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (National Registry) with requirements that all medical examiners who conduct physical examinations for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers meet the following criteria: Complete certain training concerning FMCSA's physical qualification standards, pass a test to verify an understanding of those standards, and maintain and demonstrate competence through periodic training and testing. Following establishment of the National Registry and a transition period, FMCSA will require that motor carriers and drivers use only those medical examiners on the Agency's National Registry and will only accept as valid medical examiner's certificates issued by medical examiners listed on the National Registry. FMCSA is developing the National Registry program to improve highway safety and driver health by requiring that medical examiners be trained and certified so they can determine effectively whether a CMV driver's medical fitness for duty meets FMCSA's standards.


DATES: Effective on May 21, 2012. Compliance required beginning on May 21, 2014.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

That is what I was looking for....
DATES: Effective on May 21, 2012. Compliance required beginning on May 21, 2014.


Guido said it took effect this year..that is what lead to this topic...

 

[guido4475]

That is what I was looking for....
DATES: Effective on May 21, 2012. Compliance required beginning on May 21, 2014.


Guido said it took effect this year..that is what lead to this topic...

Jesus Christ, Ken, do you have to be so damm technical?? I told you I wasn't sure when exactly it was, but it was sometime in May. All I remembered was the effective date, or close to it, as I further explained, not the compliance date, as the original article I read did not state that date

Now if I did say a particular date, than that would be different, but I didn't.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Well yeah....lol

 

[tknight]

Just how does this effect the driver of a commercial vehicle that isn't required to have a cdl (under 26,000 gvw) The state has no provision to accept medical information onto you dl?

just clarifying!

 

[Turtle]

That is what I was looking for....
DATES: Effective on May 21, 2012. Compliance required beginning on May 21, 2014.
Guido said it took effect this year..that is what lead to this topic...

An interesting exercise would be to go the Registry web site and do a search for doctors in the town where you live. You may have to use 100 or even 500 mile radius to find one. There isn't any within 50 miles of where I live. Closest one is 100 miles away. There are currently only 8 registered physicians in all of Kentucky. There is only 1 registered physician in all of Tennessee. In a 500 mile radius of where I live there are only 25 physicians on the Registry. That's it. Unless a snotload more physicians sign up, just getting a DOT physical will become an overly burdensome task to most drivers. Most physicians are arrogant enough to think that doctorate of medicine should be all the certifying they need to go through. What happens is very few physicians elect to become certified and registered?

Having so few officially certified doctors will also give the doctors more power to request unnecessary tests as a condition of qualification, such as unwarranted stress tests or sleep apnea test despite the patient being asymptomatic and no medical need for the tests. I've already seen up close and personal how that works, and it'll just get worse with a small number of registered physicians.

 

[Rocketman]

I think the smaller health clinics will be all over it by the time it's required. That's a big business for them anyway and this will just make it better for. You are correct though, in that they will take it to an extreme. There is too much money involved. When the referral money starts flowing, they will become very, very concerned about our health

 

[Turtle]

Just how does this effect the driver of a commercial vehicle that isn't required to have a cdl (under 26,000 gvw) The state has no provision to accept medical information onto you dl?

just clarifying!

I don't know. As far as I know, this only applies to CDL holders. Because, like you said, the state has no provision for indicating any self-certification of what kind of commerce in which a non-CDL driver is engaged, much less any medical information for a non-CDL holder. Other than, #2 on the list at the link below, "If you are subject to the DOT medical card requirements, provide a copy of each new DOT medical card to your SDLA prior to the expiration of the current DOT medical card." So I would assume (which is something you should not do, ever, with the FMCSA) that the states will continue to do whatever they've been doing with medical information of non-CDL holders.
New Medical Certification Requirements: A Guide for Commercial Driver

 

[guido4475]

I think the smaller health clinics will be all over it by the time it's required. That's a big business for them anyway and this will just make it better for. You are correct though, in that they will take it to an extreme. There is too much money involved. When the referral money starts flowing, they will become very, very concerned about our health

Which brings up a concern, I wonder if because they, the few, will be in such high demand, will they charge accordingly? Raising their rates?

 

[xmudman]

Which brings up a concern, I wonder if because they, the few, will be in such high demand, will they charge accordingly? Raising their rates?

That's probably a given, just like the "few" who service Sprinters, compared to the larger numbers of Dodge/FLT/Mercedes dealers who service only their core vehicles....

 

[blackpup]

More bureaucratic KUDZU !!. At the expense of owner operators, or any driver who pays for their own physical.

jimmy

 

[pearlpro]

Having so few officially certified doctors will also give the doctors more power to request unnecessary tests as a condition of qualification, such as unwarranted stress tests or sleep apnea test despite the patient being asymptomatic and no medical need for the tests. I've already seen up close and personal how that works, and it'll just get worse with a small number of registered physicians.

Im at home getting this done for the state of IL now, got a letter in the mail giving me 10 days to comply, I am using my regular Physician and will have a current card into 2015 at which time Ill have to use a Less competent Doctor whose 150 miles away...

Ive experience the CLINIC style of Health care, Lets make you take a sleep apnea test, and drive to Chicago to do it, and then not have Sleep apnea but the cost is 2400.00 dollars thank you very much....There is no GOOD Clinic care on the road or Certified DOT Clinic, its all about the $$$$$ and anyone who thinks different is full of Horsemeat....

Ive seen the Drug screens where guys carry something that resembles PEE in and they test it and you PASS the tests...Ive seen the Doctor ask me ten questions, take a look in my ear, and PASS the test...Ive seen the Nurse do the test and PASS....all the while taking your money and thansk for your business...MY DOCTOR does a 40 minute physical/stress and vision/reflex test, checks me from stem to stern and KNOWS me and my issues and gives me advise and suggest ideas to make my life better at a fair price, When hes done Im confident Im in good shape....

Ya there gonna run guys out as Ive said they dont care if your driving record is perfect they want LOWER WAGE THIRD WORLD DRIVERBOTS, By the way all this cost me about 150.00 thanks to the State of IL Highway robbery division !!!!