Any Advice On Physicals?

I'm heading to Richmond for orientation with Western Express in a little over a week and I'm excited, but also a bit anxious. I know there will be others with me who might not even go on to training- I hope I'm not among them.

I just received my Class A CDL and have my DOT medical card. When I did the physical for the DOT card they said everything looked good.

Now I'm reading they'll do a long physical at orientation. I'm not exactly sure what this will involve or if it's just for flatbed. I decided to start with van and then maybe try flatbed or refer after learning the ropes. For 49 years I'm in pretty good shape. I have elevated cholesterol- apparently something fairly common in my age group. I don't take medication for it. Instead I try to keep it under control with a high fiber vegetarian diet.

I also have mild arthritis in my neck. The doctor who examined me a few years back told me that this too is normal for my age.

What concerns me most, is a scapular injury I got from surfing about 7 years ago. My scapula now "snaps" when I move it certain ways. There's scar tissue built up around the area which at times causes nerve pain. I also have some lower back problems- nothing major but they did show up on an x-ray.

None of these things keep me from leading a normal active lifestyle. However, there are certain activities I can't do anymore, like surfing, without experiencing some pain.

I do manage to hold down a part time job at a sawmill where I'm lifting heavy pieces of lumber with no problem. I know how to lift heavy objects without causing injury. None of my health concerns interfere with my ability to drive. I don't have diabetes or high blood pressure. I never had a heart attack, stroke, or seizure.

Should I be worried I'll fail a physical? And, since I already have my DOT card will I still need to do another physical? I opted out of doing flatbed for now, so I won't be doing any tarping it strapping. Otherwise I think I'm in fit enough to work in trucking.

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.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

When I did the physical for the DOT card they said everything looked good.

I never really listen to that. I've been through at least 10 DOT physicals, each with a different doctor and they all conduct them differently.

Now I'm reading they'll do a long physical at orientation

That's normal. Every company does their own physical. When I went to FedEx, my physical was only a couple of days old from the same clinic they use and I still had to do it again. I'm still mad about the 100 bucks I spent.

Should I be worried I'll fail a physical?

I'm always worried about the physical. I'll fast for 24 hours before it and i don't consume any caffeine. Probably doesn't change anything, but it puts me at ease mentally.

And, since I already have my DOT card will I still need to do another physical?

Legally, no. Company policy, yes. If you fail your physical or get a short term card, you'll need to disclose that on every physical going forward. This new physical will make your current physical card invalid.

Okay, very good to know.

..and I'm glad I'm not the only one who worries about them.

The fasting is a really good idea! I'll do something similar and try to avoid caffeine or anything inflammatory.

Sorry about the $100.

I'm always worried about the physical. I'll fast for 24 hours before it and i don't consume any caffeine. Probably doesn't change anything, but it puts me at ease mentally.

I always ask HR to schedule it for first thing in the morning and I eat anything, just drink some water. I also increase my water intake the days before. My blood pressure is always too high so they make me lay down for 5 to 15 minutes (depending how busy they are before they get back to me) to get it down. Whenever I go to my primary physician it's normal. The doctor my company uses has been telling me the same stupid jokes for the last 4 years I've seen him. When I pass the whisper test he'll say my wife called earlier concerned about my hearing since I don't listen to her, then shine the light in my ears and say it's a good sign he can't see the light coming out the other side. Overall great doctor though and does a great job getting ya to relax. He told me it's quite common for BP to come back too high because we're stressed that he basically has the authority to have our CDL/livelihood pulled.

Man, I hope I get that kind of doctor!

So it sounds like they do a similar procedure to the physical I had when I got my DOT card. Is there anything extra a company might do for their physical.. like blood work, a stress test, heart monitor, etc? Will they have me lifting anything or look at my spine?

If they do the same basic tests, I probably won't be as worried.

It's just a basic physical. It's possible they may not even require it depending on the date of your other one. Don't count on that though.

You will have to do some lifting, but it will be seperate from your physical. They just want to make sure you can handle those tarps while you're out there on your own.

When I was there they simply had us get a rolled tarp onto a flatbed trailer. Then they had us repeat that two more times. They didn't care how you got it up there. I saw one girl stand the tarp up next to a tire then use the top of the tire to kind of help her swing the tarp up and over onto the trailer. That was good enough.

Jamal, you sound like you are in way better shape than your average driver. We all have SOMETHING wrong with us physically. If everyone was required to be perfect or almost perfect, there would be only a few drivers on the road.

My doctor gave me potassium tablets to help me with my BP and it has been very effective. Add some foods like bananas that are high in potassium to your diet. But it doesn’t sound like you have high BP anyway.

On thing I’ve had to do at both companies I’ve driven for is to demonstrate that I could climb in and out of a trailer safely, without a ladder. That is very difficult for me, but I did it successfully, much to the amusement of the younger guys watching. I received no style points, btw.

It's just a basic physical. It's possible they may not even require it depending on the date of your other one. Don't count on that though.

Old School, that definitely sets my mind at ease a bit.

I decided I'll probably start with van just to get a feel for how the business works. My main interest was flatbed as it involves more physical activity and some problem solving, which appeals to me. Overall it seems like it might be more rewarding.

I know van will come with its own sets of challenges but is maybe a little less demanding physically and mentally. My thought is I'd focus my attention on the fine details of running freight and see what I'm made of first.

Or do you think going straight into flatbed would be just as good a route for a beginner? Personally I'd like to give them all a try at some point.. I'll probably get my hazmat and tanker endorsements if it all works out. I'm open to the possibilities.. that's why I'm leaning towards van for my rookie year. Either way I know it won't be easy.

BTW, I've been reading some of your diaries. They've been super helpful..

On thing I’ve had to do at both companies I’ve driven for is to demonstrate that I could climb in and out of a trailer safely, without a ladder. That is very difficult for me, but I did it successfully, much to the amusement of the younger guys watching. I received no style points, btw.

BK, that's good to know! I'll too see how the younger kids react if I have to do the same. I'm expecting more laughs than style points myself.

Come to think of it, I was in better shape than 70% of my class even though most where half my age.

I think I'll still try to avoid the caffeine and drink plenty of water. I'm 49 (which ain't that old) but I feel like I'm going on 99. My mother says I look like a trucker.. I don't think she means that as an insult though.