If you already monitor and treat your diabetes appropriately, you shouldn’t have a problem. In other words, you need to prove that you’re healthy and properly managing your condition. How to Pass Your Physical with Diabetesĭon’t worry, passing the DOT physical with diabetes isn’t complicated – you just need to have your diabetes under control. This needs to be from within the last 4 months. If you are new to using insulin to control your diabetes, you need to have used it for 3 months before you can pass the DOT physical. This means the entire process is faster and less burdensome for all involved, and you no longer have to obtain a separate evaluation by the doctor treating your diabetes.ĭrivers who have diabetes also need to bring their latest lab work to the examination, which should include fasting blood sugar and HGA1C. However, the program was discontinued in September of 2018 and the DOT now deems the exemption unnecessary, giving the examiner the ability to determine whether an individual is safe to operate a CMV. This required an additional application outside of the medical exam. You used to be able to apply for the Diabetes Exemption Program, which allowed those that use insulin to control their diabetes to be medically certified to drive commercial vehicles. The New DOT Physical Requirements for Diabetes Your doctor will also test your urine for the presence of sugars. Have you had a hypoglycemic reaction in the past? What did that look like? When did it happen recently? What were the circumstances?.Do you have a history of feeling faint, dizzy, or any other loss of consciousness?.Do you take any over-the-counter medications/supplements for diabetes?.Do you regularly monitor your blood sugar level?.If you control your diabetes and regularly monitor your condition, you won’t likely have a problem getting the all-clear from your medical examiner. It will be largely up to their professional opinion whether you are safe to operate a CMV. Yes, though it will depend on the circumstances of your condition and the opinion of your medical examiner. Can You Pass a DOT Physical With Type 2 Diabetes? If you have diabetes or another health condition such as high blood pressure, you will be required to have your DOT physical annually (or more frequently) to ensure you continue to be fit enough to operate large commercial vehicles. You’ll also be required to have annual eye tests because diabetes can lead to some vision impairment. It is also subject to other standards which are “discretionary,” which means your medical examiner will determine whether they believe your condition may impede your ability to safely do your job. This will not apply to most but will apply if you’ve been diagnosed with severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy or proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Yes, however, diabetes is one of the four conditions that have objective disqualifiers – that means that if your symptoms of diabetes meet one of their disqualifying conditions, you’ll automatically fail the exam. Can You Pass a DOT Physical with Diabetes? Your examiner will ask you about whether you have a history of diabetes or controlling elevated blood sugar levels with your diet, pills, or insulin. They’ll also examine you for other conditions which may be caused by diabetes, and test your urine for the presence of sugars. When diabetes is undiagnosed and so uncontrolled (which accounts for around 7.3 million people in the US ), it can cause fatigue, stress, and sluggishness, all of which can impede your ability to drive a CMV. In worst-case scenarios, it can lead to hypoglycemia which may result in loss of consciousness and seizure, so it’s important to control diabetes if you do indeed have it. The physical will look for signs of diabetes and may recommend further investigation if they believe you have diabetes. These physicals are necessary once every 24 months, so whether you’re preparing for your first DOT physical or your fifth, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the rules around diabetes and blood sugar levels.īelow, we’ll answer all the most frequently asked questions regarding DOT physicals and diabetes, but if you’re new to DOT physicals, read our overview here first. The DOT physical isn’t something you need to be afraid of, but if you have diabetes or high blood sugar levels (or suspect you do), you may have some concerns about your ability to pass. To drive a commercial vehicle over 10,000 pounds (CMV), you need to pass a DOT (Department of Transportation) physical.
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