Vision Waiver
Topic 25615 | Page 1
Jeremy, Give us some more information. Are you a current CDL holder trying to renew your DOT Medical card? What vision problems do you have that are creating a problem in getting/renewing your DOT card?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
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.
I am currently trying to get my cdl but the hold up is me not having the waiver. I have glaucoma in my left eye.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Jeremy, My my Mom was diagnosed with glaucoma in her early 60's. She was treated with eye drops and kept regular appointments with her opthalmologist. Her vision never deteriorated and her eyesight was fine when she died at 86. When properly treated, my understanding is that the condition is quite easily controlled. Did your Dr. give you a reason why she wouldn't sign it. Maybe you should make a few phone calls and find a Dr. that is familiar with DOT requirements. Unless your vision has already been adversely affected by the glaucoma, I see no reason you should not get the waiver. Good luck. Keep us posted with your progress.
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.
I have glaucoma in my left eye.
That doesn't require a waiver. There's a lot of drivers with glaucoma. Why do you think you need a waiver? Is your peripheral vision seriously impaired in that eye?
My understanding as to why I need the waiver is each Eye at worst can be 20/40 and my vision is a little worse than that in my left eye. I believe my eye doctor is not familiar with how you get the waiver form and how you need to fill out. I don’t really want to switch eye drs cuz I like my eye dr. But if it means me getting my cdl then I guess I will have too. Does anyone live around central IL that knows an eye dr that is Familiar with the form and could help me get it? I’ve already had my DOT physical and that was the only thing holding me up. Dot dr said I would pass you but you need the waiver.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
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.
I believe my eye doctor is not familiar with how you get the waiver form and how you need to fill out
You said you had the paperwork for the Dr. to fill out. If not, go to the FMCSA website, download it, print it, fill out your portion, give it to the Dr. and have her fill out the Doctors portion with the relevant information. It can't be that difficult. Doctors have mountains of forms that they fill out daily, or someone in the office that they pay to do it. Illinois is a big state, I doubt there is anyone on this forum that lives in your neighborhood to recommend a Doctor. The internet is a magical thing. Google Opthalmologists in your area.
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
My understanding as to why I need the waiver is each Eye at worst can be 20/40 and my vision is a little worse than that in my left eye. I believe my eye doctor is not familiar with how you get the waiver form and how you need to fill out. I don’t really want to switch eye drs cuz I like my eye dr. But if it means me getting my cdl then I guess I will have too. Does anyone live around central IL that knows an eye dr that is Familiar with the form and could help me get it? I’ve already had my DOT physical and that was the only thing holding me up. Dot dr said I would pass you but you need the waiver.
Can you be corrected to better than 20/40 with glasses/contacts?
If not - then you need a waiver. Doesn't matter what your vision is UNCORRECTED - only what it is with corrective lenses.
If your eye doc is unfamiliar with the waiver protocol, then you would obviously need to find one that is, to do the paperwork. Perhaps the doc that did your DOT Physical can recommend one.
The problem with the vision waiver is that the current instructions seem to specify that you have to ALREADY HOLD a CDL. So it appears that it's only available for people already driving, that are experiencing a decrease in visual acuity. I am not 100% sure that a new entrant into the industry would qualify.
But you can get the instructions here: FMCSA Vision Waiver Package.
it requires a statement from your eye doc, as outlined in the instructions - the key part of which is that you can safely operate a CMV. There are a number of other documents that must be submitted also. The documents are mailed in for consideration, at which point they will either deny, or issue a waiver for 2 years.
YOU MUST HAVE THE WAIVER ALREADY IN HAND FOR A DOT MEDICAL EXAM, in order to qualify for a DOT MED CARD. So you have a bit of work to do, in order to get one.
OTOH - if you can get on drops or other meds, and get your vision down to better than 20/40 - you will not need a waiver. It is still at the discretion of the medical examiner whether or not to issue a card though.
So again - if you can PASS the eye exam right now - there's no reason to get a waiver. But if your condition continues to deteriorate, you may need one in the future.
You didn't say whether you tested for a card and FAILED for vision, so this may be a non-issue right now.
Rick
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
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.
CMV:
Commercial Motor Vehicle
A CMV is a vehicle that is used as part of a business, is involved in interstate commerce, and may fit any of these descriptions:
- Weighs 10,001 pounds or more
- Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more
- Is designed or used to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver) not for compensation
- Is designed or used to transport 9 or more passengers (including the driver) for compensation
- Is transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placards
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:
- Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
- Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
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.
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Howdy all.
I know I’m replying a year after the question but I didn’t see any reason to start a new thread.
I’m currently gathering all of the documentation for the vision waiver the fmcsa requires.
I do not have a CDL , only a chauffeur’s license.
I need the waiver because of a childhood accident at the age of three; piece of glass, sibling, playing in the alley behind the house with no supervision.... you know. Having fun in the ‘70s 😜
My left eye has scarring across the pupil that has never worsened or gotten better. Literally my brother got a direct splitting my pupil to make it look like a cats eye, or teardrop scar. Yes it my conversation piece everyone I meet someone new!
Any-hoo. My optometrist signed a letterhead saying the deficiency hasn’t changed and my vision is stable,
I still need to send off all the documents (waiting on current employer to verify my tenure and mileage as a rollback driver the past eight months) and then wait up to six months for a yay or nay from the fmcsa.
I just wanted to update the thread and say “hola”.
Thank you all so much for the education I’m getting about trucking. Don M.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Howdy all.
I know I’m replying a year after the question but I didn’t see any reason to start a new thread.
I’m currently gathering all of the documentation for the vision waiver the fmcsa requires.
I do not have a CDL , only a chauffeur’s license.
I need the waiver because of a childhood accident at the age of three; piece of glass, sibling, playing in the alley behind the house with no supervision.... you know. Having fun in the ‘70s 😜
My left eye has scarring across the pupil that has never worsened or gotten better. Literally my brother got a direct splitting my pupil to make it look like a cats eye, or teardrop scar. Yes it my conversation piece everyone I meet someone new!
Any-hoo. My optometrist signed a letterhead saying the deficiency hasn’t changed and my vision is stable,
I still need to send off all the documents (waiting on current employer to verify my tenure and mileage as a rollback driver the past eight months) and then wait up to six months for a yay or nay from the fmcsa.
I just wanted to update the thread and say “hola”.
Thank you all so much for the education I’m getting about trucking. Don M.
Haya, Maggs !! aka: Don M. ~
Welcome BACK to Trucking Truth!!
Not sure 'why' this thread died, but....after seeing you post in Penn99's diary thread, I got to wondering. . . whatever DID happen with you, and this?? Did you get this squared away, to where you can finally pursue your dream/aspiration of the trucking profession?
Sometimes an SPE certicate can 'do the trick,' even though it's original intention was for missing limbs or something of the sort. I recently helped a deaf fellow obtain such, and proceed on to schooling with CRST, successfully.
Old School has had some recent opthalmic issues, and I'm sure if you search his posts by name, there's a ton of info that could help you, as well.
Please drop us a line, and let us know what's up!!
Not sure if you've ever combed the whole site for all our 'goodies,' but Brett's book is the 2nd line item, here:
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road CDL Training Program
- CDL Practice Tests
Best to you, good sir!!!
~ Anne ~
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.New Reply:
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Does anyone know how to get the vision waiver? I’ve printed off the waiver form for the DOT physical but when I took it to my eye dr she had no idea what I was talking about and wouldn’t help me
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.