A CDL physical exam, more appropriately known as a DOT physical, is part and parcel of seeking and maintaining employment in the transportation industry. It is essentially your ticket to obtaining and keeping a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Here, you’ll learn why drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) are required to undergo CDL physicals every two years.
Why Does Someone Need a CDL Physical Examination?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the lead federal government agency assigned to regulate and provide safety oversight of CMVs, mandates that each state administer comprehensive physical examinations to every person applying for or maintaining a CDL.
A potential or current employee’s medical status must be evaluated, certified, and added to the commercial driver’s license system (CDLS). The purpose of this is to ensure they have the overall capacity to safely operate a commercial vehicle and withstand the physical rigors involved in the job.
People who need a CDL license are those who operate the following types of vehicles:
- Single or combination vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds
- Those carrying hazardous waste materials in amounts that require placarding
- Those designed to transport more than 16 people (including the driver)
What the CDL Physical Involves
The following are the things that you should bring or provide during your DOT physical appointment:
- Hearing aid (if applicable)
- Eyeglasses or contact lenses (if applicable)
- A list of your current prescription and over-the-counter medications as well as the name and contact information of your prescribing physician
- Your health insurance information
- A medical opinion release letter from your primary care physician or specialist if you are under treatment for a medical condition, such as sleep apnea or any other sleep disorder, or you’ve recently had an injury or surgical procedure.
The CDL physical exam is much like your routine wellness exam with your primary care physician. Your height, weight, vital signs, BMI, and reflexes will be checked. The doctor will also examine your ears, nose and throat, muscles, joints, and skin. He will listen to your heart and lungs as well. Additionally, the doctor will go over your medical history and medications. He will take a urine sample, order routine blood work, and take an EKG to assess your heart function and rhythm.
If the doctor does discover a problem that may disqualify you from getting a medical certification for the CDL, he will discuss ways to improve your chances of future eligibility or to apply for an exemption for your condition.
CDL Physical in King, NC
If you’re in search of a healthcare facility that offers highly efficient and reliable CDL physicals within the King area in North Carolina, visit us here at Cardinal Urgent Care. Our team – led by Dr. Samir Patel, a board-certified emergency medicine physician – has helped numerous people complete the licensing process and get on the road safely.
Arrange your CDL exam appointment today. Call ahead at (336) 983-9111. We are open seven days a week for your convenience.
