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Q&A
Can a driver with lung disease get a DOT medical card?
Is the use of oxygen therapy a disqualifier?
Can I still drive if I have a blood clot in the lung?
I had lung surgery and a lobectomy a few years ago . Will this fail me on a DOT physical?
What does neck size, weight, and BMI have to do with the DOT physical exam?
What does snoring have to do with the DOT physical exam?
Can a driver with lung disease get a DOT medical card?
The medical examiner will evaluate your condition to determine how the lung disease may affect your ability to safely drive and perform other duties of a commercial driver. If you don’t have a medical opinion letter from a treating physician, you may need to go for a chest x-ray or pulmonary function tests before the medical examiner can consider certification.
Is the use of oxygen therapy a disqualifier?
Most likely, yes, oxygen therapy while driving is a disqualifier. The reasons are twofold: 1. Malfunction of the oxygen equipment. 2. Progression of the disease may be debilitating. You may be considered if you can pass a pulmonary function test.
I was recently diagnosed with COPD from exhaust leak in my semi. Can I lose my CDL because of this diagnosis?
The diagnosis of COPD is not, by itself a disqualifier for your cdl. It will/may have an effect while doing your medical examination and certification. Your best bet is to take any and all notation from your primary lung doctor with you when you re-do your medical exam and certificate. The examiner just needs to make sure your are fit to return to work without being a risk to yourself or the public at large.
Can I still drive if I have a blood clot in the lung?
With the blood clot in the lung, you want to make sure you bring a note from you pulmonary specialist stating you are good to go. The medical examiner will need a copy for your file when he does the exam.
I had lung surgery and a lobectomy a few years ago . Will this fail me on a DOT physical?
In and of itself, the lobectomy should not be an issue. But what was the reasoning behind the surgery? Your examiner will have other questions regarding the surgery and what its long term effects are, as well as, how it affects your ability to operate a commercial motor vehicle.
What does neck size, weight, and BMI have to do with the DOT physical exam?
Neck size, weight, and BMI are all just indicators that the medical examiner looks at to determine if you may have a condition that would impact your ability to safely drive a commercial vehicle now or for the period for which the medical card may be issued. There are currently no set specifics on these measurements in the DOT regulations. However, companies may set their own policies and have their own standards for these indicators, which may disqualify you to drive for that particular company.
What does snoring have to do with the DOT physical exam?
Snoring, in combination with obesity, can be highly predictive of obstructive sleep apnea risk. That said, even the loudest of snorers may not have a breathing obstruction. The sign that is most suggestive of sleep apnea occurs when snoring stops. If both snoring and breathing stop while the person’s chest and body try to breathe, that is literally a description of an event called an ‘apnea’. When breathing starts again, there is typically a deep gasp and then the resumption of snoring.
For the DOT physical exam the medical examiner evaluates your overall physical condition and health history to determine if there are signs of a medical condition that may affect your ability to safely drive a CMV. If the medical examiner has reasonable suspicion that you have sleep apnea you may have to go for an overnight sleep test called a polysomnogram before you can be further considered for certification.
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I had a third of my left lung removed, what are DOT breathing requirement #,s
@Richard
Not much to go on here, I would need some more information to try to answer this question.
When was the surgery, why did you have the surgery, is there any difficulty breathing now? … etc.
My husband has a pretty nasty cold. As a truck driver what otc meds can he take? He is currently at home for the next 10 days for vacation. Is there anything otc that will not cause a positive random drug test? His company does hair follicle testing.
@Grace
You really need to check with your primary healthcare provider for this answer.
I AM DEALING WITH A RT SIDE PARALIZED LUNG, DEMINISHED BREATHING AND WEAKNESS. I AMTRYING TO FIND OUT IF THIS CONDITION WILL DISQUALIFY ME FROM RETAINING MY CA. CDL LICENSE. E-RAY SHOWS DIAFRAM TOTALY CALAPSING RT LUNG TO A THIRD OF SIZE WITH NO MOVEMENT , THIS HAS BEEN CONFORMED WITH CAT SCAN.
@Christopher
As an OTR driver you are going to be disqualified.
You need to check into driving intra-state only. By doing that the state may allow you to continue driving within the state borders. But, you will need to confirm that with your state drivers license department.
I am a female driver. My neck measure is right @ 16″. Good right?
I am 50 lbs overweight. Will my weight disqualify of limit my dot physical time to less than 2 years?
@Loretta
There are no laws regarding neck size and weight. So if someone starts in with this issue, get up and walk out.
To better understand the confusion on sleep apnea screening, read this set of sleep apnea articles on our blog.
My husband has a sebaceous cyst on the back of his neck. He recently left the Air Force and was told it was nothing to worry about. Would this be a problem passing a DOT physical?
@Lis
Not unless it causes restrictions to his movement or could cause any limitations in the safe operation of a commercial motor vehicle. There are plenty of drivers with these cysts and no one has had any problems. All he will need to do is explain what it is and he should be good to go.
my husband went to renew his medical cert.. and was told he couldn’t renew because he used oxygen. he uses his oxygen only at night when he sleeps, and it is a low dosage of 3.5. his oxygen level is good during the daytime. can he pass the exam and get his cdl back?
@Loretta
Any CME is going to have questions. Have his primary care physician fill out a medical release form for you, answering the questions of usage and the need for the oxygen usage.
I am a compliance manager and have a driver who just had a pft test done and is a smoker. This is the first one I have seen and we have about 30 drivers.I was not aware that this was a requirement. If so, can you tell me where to find this in the guidelines and/or is it just if the doctor is anticipating a problem later down the road.
@Jackie
It is not a requirement, it is a recommendation within the guideline if the driver presents with possible lung related symptoms. The CME may be being very careful, but it is not his position to perform such a test. It should be referred to the driver’s primary doctor for further testing.
What does the breathing, or pulmonary test consist of? Hearing of percentage numbers. Percentage of what?
@Donald
Basically it is looking for how much air you can expel in the first second of expiration. This number needs to be greater that 65%