Profile For Josh R.

We have truck drivers coming in to get medication for high blood pressure from our pharmacy. Our pharmacist says it's not a good thing to drive with high blood pressure if you have medication that you take for high blood pressure that's going to come up on the drug test and on the physical also. You have to be careful and talk to them about it, I can ask my pharmacist if there is anything you can take that won't affect your driving our anything.

hi olga B yes please ask i would really apppreciate it if you did thank you i have a doctors appointment friday so hopefully we get to the bottom of this and hopefully its just my unhealthy habits LOL

Yeah, I've been known to say that most of the trucking industry runs on caffeine and blood pressure meds. Just speak with your doctor and get a prescription that will be ok for commercial driving. No big deal at all.

thanks brett i will be going to the doctor soon and getting checked.

Hi Josh,

I, too, have hypertension. If you read over 140/80 when they do the physical exam, you're disco. And everybody knows THAT sucks!

If you are being treated for it with meds as I am and you pass the exam (as I have several times) you will get a DOT card good for one year and/or when you apply for a new driving job with a different company. At that time, you will need another exam every year until you're 1) no longer being treated for it or; 2) dead.

Tips for passing the BP test:

If you smoke cigarettes, don't have ANY for the 12 hours before the test. That goes for chew as well. Not easy, but if I can do it, anybody can!

Get plenty of rest the day/night before the test.

Relax - don't go in there stressed out or p_____ off. Deep breathing exercises help me. Divorce lawyers can also be helpful in some cases.

Make sure they do the urinalysis (pee in the cup) BEFORE the BP test. Nobody can maintain low BP when they have to pee like a race horse!

Don't eat greasy foods or drink alcohol for a couple three days before the exam.

Don't take any OTC cold remedy medications for a few days before the test. Almost all of them will raise your BP. If you have a cold, try not to sneeze on the nurse. They don't like that. But you'll just have to tough your way through it.

But that should do it for you if you really have it under control. Good luck!

Cheers, Howard

awesome thanks for the advice i appreciate it. im going to start working out also hoping that my high blood pressure may be caused by unhealthy habits such as fast food and not working out haha i checked my blood pressure today i was 146/86 it has been going down a bit tho thank god im still going to a doctor just to make sure by the time i go to school i will be 100 percent ready for this industry i cant wait to get on the road for a while i really need to get out of vegas for a while

I have posted on here a few questions so far so here is my next one my blood pressure is usually high usually hypertension 1 or 2 i want to know if that will affect me in anyway during the DOT test???

I went to get my exam today turns out i do need glasses glad i had an exam before the DOT

thank god i had the exam before the DOT is what i meant

i have been on this site asking some questions already because i am going to school next month for central and i just want to know how much can my blood pressure actually effect me? im usually at hypertension 1 or 2 is that to much to pass the DOT or will they let it slide? also if it can effect me why can it? i appreciate all replies thank you

Just to add to my friend Old Schools post.

Make sure that you're not on any meds that would disqualify you. They do check your blood pressure and they're pretty strict with it. You'll be required to lift weight over your head and walk with weight - it's not much. I've taken two DOT Physicals in my time and both were very different so I can't say exactly what you'll be going through. But if you guys have any doubts that you might not pass then it's a good idea to get a physical in an approved clinic in your area. Doesn't cost too much and it's better to get the physical in your hometown just to be on the safe side than have to sit on a bus for days and fail it in a different state. The company won't pay for your expenses to get back home. So just a few things to consider.

hey daniel B what if your blood pressure is usually high mine is usually at hypertension 1 or 2 i will be getting it checked out but would that effect me?

I went to get my exam today turns out i do need glasses glad i had an exam before the DOT

Hey Josh...eyeglasses and contacts are not an issue. Been wearing glasses my whole life and I use them when doing the DOT physical. As long as your vision is correctable to the minimums with the eyewear you will be fine. (The minimums are pretty darn easy)

thank you hiram that is very helpful i was wondering if it would affect me becoming a trucker im glad to hear it will not thank you.

i have been having some vision issues only when i look at things that are not close to me i have a bit of a problem seeing names and numbers from a distance i will be getting an eye exam but will i still be able to do trucking if i do get prescribed glasses or lenses can i pass the DOT like that do companies still hire people with glasses ? im just curious to know