Question About The DOT Physical
Topic 33968 | Page 2
When I started, knight made us do a physical agility and strength test. I haven't had to do one since.
The last physical I did for my dot at their doctor almost didn't pass me for being colorblind. He asked me how I got a card passed. I replied that he himself did it. He refused to believe me and sign off until he verified his own signature...if build back better was a Dr's office.
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 know that truck driving is way different than any other job out there. I also know that I truly value my ‘home time’. I’m simply not interested in giving up any of my 34 hour reset to go to a pointless appointment when I’ve already satisfied the DOT requirements.
They asked you to take the physical on your off duty time? Did they do this over the QC or by phone? Ask them to ask via the QC to do this. Then, put yourself on duty and go take the physical. After you're done with the physical start your 34 all over again.
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 feel your pain. Unfortunately you’re in the position of needing to do the physical at the location they specify or choosing another employer who doesn’t require a physical from a specific doctor.
Most companies I’ve worked for did not care where I got my physical.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
It s more of an issue when applying with a new company. They can be strict on where you go. They sent me to cpapentra. Got a 3 month card and when I went to my place and got a 2 year card Vault flagged it and Schneider required a sleep study.
Maybe its because I do a physical job and have no issues falling alseep/sleeping however I see zero results with cpap with 4 months of use.
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.
I know that truck driving is way different than any other job out there. I also know that I truly value my ‘home time’. I’m simply not interested in giving up any of my 34 hour reset to go to a pointless appointment when I’ve already satisfied the DOT requirements.
They asked you to take the physical on your off duty time? Did they do this over the QC or by phone? Ask them to ask via the QC to do this. Then, put yourself on duty and go take the physical. After you're done with the physical start your 34 all over again.
Yeah... cause this really hurts the company right? Using on duty time will only deduct time/miles and money from his pay.
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 know that truck driving is way different than any other job out there. I also know that I truly value my ‘home time’. I’m simply not interested in giving up any of my 34 hour reset to go to a pointless appointment when I’ve already satisfied the DOT requirements.
They asked you to take the physical on your off duty time? Did they do this over the QC or by phone? Ask them to ask via the QC to do this. Then, put yourself on duty and go take the physical. After you're done with the physical start your 34 all over again.
Yeah... cause this really hurts the company right? Using on duty time will only deduct time/miles and money from his pay.
Who said anything about hurting the company? I think we can agree that the OP's off-duty time isn't a driving force here because if it were it would have been mentioned in the Original Post. What I'm saying is if your company tells you to do something you'd better be on-duty when you do it for liability reasons.
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.
Who said anything about hurting the company? I think we can agree that the OP's off-duty time isn't a driving force here because if it were it would have been mentioned in the Original Post. What I'm saying is if your company tells you to do something you'd better be on-duty when you do it for liability reasons.
I'm curious... what liability reasons?
If my company asks me to get a physical while on home time, I'll drive directly to the clinic to get the physical completed, then on with any other personal business I need to get done.
There's *No Way* I'm driving to the terminal to climb in a truck, sign in to the ELD to put myself 'on duty', then drive to the clinic to do the physical, then have to backtrack to the terminal again just to get in a truck to put myself back to 'off duty'....
All those extra steps sounds like extra liability to me?
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
When I had to go take a random, the company sent an Uber to our Catapillar load delivery, right as we were turning to make our delivery. Then, sent another Uber, to return me to that customer, just in time to meet my co-driver coming to the customers gate to leave lol.....DM specified to make sure, the DR did both tests, drug and alcohol and get the papers for both.....This was all done within their required 2 hour test window....Kinda funny for the urgency of it all really
Dm:
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.
The comment came across to me as "ill show them." I see this all the time OTR when drivers wont count 3 hrs in a walmart dock as part of their 10hr split. So the driver loses 3 hours of driving and $$$ cause "they ain't making me work more. I am getting my full 10 regardless of how long I was in a dock" hurts driver's pocket more.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
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When it comes to HIPAA, the company is not in violation, as you sign a form to release your records to the company's doctor. No violation. Sign or don't sign is up to you.
It comes down to accidents, lawyers, lawsuits and insirance companies. To limit the risk of.it being brought up in a lawsuit after an accident... sleep apnea is addressed. My company is famous for not allowing Trazadone which is an anti anxiety pill people use to help them sleep.
Keep in mind... you may be required to get physicals more often than every year or two. If you get diagnosed or have surgery... a nee physical is required.
When i started, you also needed to take an agility test to prove range of motion, lifting (up to 50 pounds or 100 for flatbed), climbing and bending ability.
Do any companies still do this?
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated