1st Attempt Failed. Thoughts On Gypsum Express, CT Transportation(comcar) Or Shaffer/Crete
Topic 15749 | Page 3
Well, it should be pretty obvious, but since you're struggling with it I'll break it down for you. The general driving public has screamed loud and clear for years about unsafe truck drivers on the road. Some of their scorn has been well deserved, and we brought much of their negative attention to ourselves with our behaviors.
Now we have very successful attorneys winning huge monetary settlements against trucking companies for not doing everything they can to make sure their drivers are well rested. There's no money in suing fire departments, and fire departments don't have thousands of trucks out on the interstates with the drivers running strenuous schedules for something like eighty hours each week. Fatigue, when commandeering an eighty thousand pound vehicle, brings a great deal of liability exposure to the insurance companies that accept that risk.
I think you understand where I'm going with this. These companies are now willing to go above and beyond the governmental requirements just for the sake of being able to defend themselves against the crafty arguments of the trial lawyers. Jury decisions have forced issues like this one and we live with the consequences. This is why trucking companies vary in their requirements for the physical. Not only are they needing to meet the government's regulations, but also their insurer's demands.
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
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CDL Qualifications Company Sponsored CDL Training DOT Physical Sleep Apnea
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I was originally sent for the sleep study by my migraine dr. She thought i wasnt getting enough good rest that may have triggered my headaches or migraines. It took a while once i got away from my other job my headaches have been less often and less severe. I also feel better after sleeping once i got back into a normal schedule. So i think that may have resolved itself.
Well today i took a physical with CT Transportation. The Dr. said i passed as far as the dot was concerned but I did not meet ComCar's requirement. My bmi was 2 point too high and my neck was 18 and they require 17. So again I am being sent home.
The frustrating thing for me is how can I be deamed medically and physically fit for my firefighting career(part tine and volunteer) but not to drive a truck? My duties include driving and operating the fire truck, fighting fires, rescuing people from houses and cars and also providing medical care to people. My physical for my firefighting stuff is a lot more in depth, strenuous and throrough than that of the 3 dot physicals i have taken.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.