Would My Medical History (ADHD, Depression, Anxiety) Prevent Me From Passing The DOT Physical?

Hey guys, I want to get into trucking but I'm trying to figure out if my medical history is likely to complicate things much.

Over recent years I have occasionally asked my doctor to put me on various medications such as Adderall (hoping it would help me to stay motivated as a freelance programmer), antidepressants (for moderate depression; only took them for a few months), and lorazepam (for occasional social anxiety). I basically self-diagnosed myself with these conditions, and my doctor had no problem writing the scripts. I wanted to see if the meds would make life any easier, but over time I've gotten to the point where I prefer handling things on my own. Some people truly need these medications, but for me, I think the problems were mostly in my head.

For the last few months I've been medication free, but I'm wondering if that alone will be enough to get me through the DOT physical. I have thumbed through some of the FMCSR's and found mention of these issues, but the language is pretty dense and I'm wondering how seriously the examiners actually scrutinize things in the field. I love driving and have a clean record, and I'm confident that none of these past issues would prevent me from becoming a skilled OTR hauler.

I've also searched around on the forums, but my understanding of the physicals is still somewhat murky. Some people make it sound as if the only real problem would be if I was still actively taking the medications. One guy mentioned running into trouble when his employer forced him (perhaps illegally) to hand over his medical records and discovered the driver's past diagnosis, but it sounds like this situation isn't too common with the reputable companies.

What are your thoughts? Have any of you guys had a close scrape (or failed to make it through) because of your history with any of these issues? Thanks.

As Rick said, the new DOT forms are more in-depth... And if you answer YES then you will need to have some real info to back-up WHY you can drive a truck SAFELY.

However, if you are clean of these drugs at least 6 months, then they won't show up on tests and more importantly (IMO) you will know how well you are doing without meds. That is something you need to think about. Can you handle the stress of this job that is much more than most jobs.

Being a trucker IS stressful. You will be gone from your home life, your routine, your family, your circle of friends etc If you have been gone for weeks or months before without a problem, then you know you can handle that part of the job well enough. If on the other hand you haven't been out of your comfort zone for an extended period of time, you might want to see if you can adjust. Some people can't and leave the industry, often in debt for training.

CDL school is INTENSE. You need to focus 110% on that for 3-4 weeks just to get your CDL, then take road tests for the 1st company go out with a trainer for anywhere from 4-8 weeks (or more) and during that time you're at another person's mercy. They can be really nice, helpful etc or they can make your life hell. Sure, you can ask for a new trainer but they might not be any better. Meanwhile you are making peanuts while the trainer is raking in the miles/dough from you. Yeah.

After that, you need another road test at the company (They expect you do much better this time cause you been with a trainer for a month or more) and then you get your own truck. Even then, you might find yourself in a truck for weeks at a time with no one else to really talk to... CB radio or even a cell phone are not the same as being able to just have a conversation with someone... It's a rough life and then you might get 3 days off (if lucky). At home you will find your family and friends have been living their lives like normal while you been OTR and as time passes.... You lose friendships, relationships grow cold etc and in-turn you might find that people at home just don't get "it"... Which leads you to want to do what? Go back OTR! Where at least the other truckers at the stops you make can understand you.... You should see where this is going. It can be easy to get into this as a job and it becomes a lifestyle which makes it difficult to leave. Many marriages have ended because of this, same for friendships etc.

Add to that the stress of being an OTR driver... Load delays, bad weather, bad food, few places to park, being kept out longer than planned/promised, etc. Not trying to stop you, there is a TON of info on this site. There are some great parts to being a trucker- Seeing the country, being able to make more money, able to move to any city in America and get a job after a year exp. going OTR. This is an occupation in DEMAND and that isn't going away.

My advice for the DOT medical: You are Superman with no memory. Think about that and you'll know what I mean :-)