Truck Driving After Back Surgery?
Topic 9518 | Page 1
Hi Amber. I think he'll pass the DOT physical just fine, but some companies will give their own physical beyond that and they may have concerns.
In the DOT physical they will ask him to bend over and touch his toes while standing. Now obviously most people that are becoming truck drivers are not flexible enough to actually touch their toes, and probably a full 2/3 of them can't even see em past their belly. But he'll want to see that you can bend over as far as possible and stand straight up again without any problems.
I think he'll be able to get started in trucking just fine. I'm assuming he can sit comfortably without much pain for hours at a time or he wouldn't be considering this right now. I guess it would be ideal to get it taken care of before getting into trucking but it doesn't seem that would be required.
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.
Very important, some surgeries require that the driver cannot operate a commercial vehicle for a minimum of 90 days after the surgery. Double check with this because this is a dot regulation. You don't want him to have the surgery, then go to a Company-Sponsored Training Program only to be sent home because it hasn't been 90 days.
Just a tip that could save you a ton of hassle.
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.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
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DOT Physical Health Concerns Understanding The Laws
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My husband is extremely interested in becoming a truck driver, but he has a degenerative disc in his lower back and most likely will need surgery to repair it and stop his pain. Does anyone know if he'll be accepted or even pass the physical they give before being hired as a driver?? Any feedback/knowledge is greatly appreciated! Thanks! One Concerned Wife.