Things To Prepare For Your Appointment
- Make sure to continue taking your prescribed medications as usual.
- Wear loose clothing for the physical exam.
- Don’t use the restroom just before your appointment. You will need to give a small urine sample for a kidney screen. This is not for a drug test.
Things You Must Bring To Your Appointment
- Your valid driver’s license and /or other photo ID.
- Eye glasses or contact lenses, if applicable. If you recently had an eye exam it would be helpful, but not necessary, to bring that exam report with you.
- A working hearing aid, if applicable.
- List of medications, and the name and contact information of the prescribing doctor.
- Medical release opinion letter (get template) from your primary doctor or specialist for any medical conditions being treated, or recent illness, injury, or surgery.
- Current FMCSA Waiver or Exemption Certificate or Skills Performance Evaluation if applicable.
What To Expect During The Examination
The doctor will review your health history with you.
Conduct a thorough physical examination.
Run a urine screen (dip-stick test) for urine specific gravity, urine protein, urine blood, and urine sugar, to check for the onset of possible disqualifying medical conditions.
How Long Is A DOT Medical Card Good For?
- 2 years – If you meet all the FMCSA DOT Regulations for Commercial Driver Fitness.
- A limited time, usually 1 year or 6 months, if periodic monitoring is required for certain medical conditions.
- A limited time, usually a 1 to 3 month window, if you have a recently diagnosed condition that you are working with your primary care doctor to get under control.
- Disqualified. A medical condition or medication may cause your medical card to be disqualified until the disqualifying conditions are rectified.
Put In A Nutshell
Help the DOT doctor help you. Come prepared to your DOT Physical exam appointment. Bring everything you need.
Then it’ll just be a matter of checking through each item on the Medical Examination Report and you should be done and set with your new DOT Medical Card in about 30 to 45 minutes.
Thanks to Trucker Docs expert panel doctor, Dr. Kenn Seals, for contributing to this article. You can find Dr. Seals at Chiro Stop in Salt Lake City, UT.Other Questions About the DOT Physical
Do I need to bring the DOT Physical form with me?
No. The DOT doctor will have the forms that are needed.
• The Medical Examination Report MCSA-5875 (Long Form).
• The Medical Examiner’s Certificate MCSA-5876 (DOT Card)
To save time, some DOT physical offices will make the Driver Information and Health History section of the Medical Examination Report available before your appointment, so you can complete it before the exam.
Do I have to get naked for a DOT physical?
No, you do not have to get naked. You may need to loosen or remove your shirt so the examiner can listen to heart sounds and do an abdominal check.
Does a DOT physical include a drug test?
No, drug testing is not part of a DOT physical exam.
Be aware that if you have been sent by your company for a DOT physical, they may request – in addition – that a drug screen is done. The drug test is an additional cost.
What is the DOT physical urine test used for?
The urine test is just a kidney screen to test for sugar and protein. It’s done to determine that there is no early onset of conditions like high blood pressure breaking down the kidneys, or early signs of diabetes, or kidney infection.
What if I conceal a conditional or disqualifying medical condition?
On the first page of the Medical Examination Report you must certify that your responses are complete and true. Making a false statement for concealing a medical condition may invalidate the examination and the Medical Examiner’s Certificate.
I usually get high BP only when this DOT physical is due!! What can I do? “
Here are some tips to manage your blood pressure and have it measure as low as possible during the exam.
For any other questions go to our forum for Frequently Asked Questions.
I have a son that is getting a job and is 17 years old. Is he able to get a health card so he can pull trailers? Or is there a minimum age. He will not have a CDL and will not leave the state. I live in Minnesota
@ Lucas
Because you will not have a cdl, you will be under your states guidelines and regulations, not federal DOT/FMCSA. Check with your local drivers license department (DLD) for the best answer.
Is there a “grace period” if a DOT physical is past due in North Fakota?
@ John
Not that we are aware of, but check with your local DLD for confirmation.
Do dot doctors ask for your medical history or have access to it
@ Matt
They ask, the intake form ask, and he has access to a data base.
Do they make u pee twice? Drug screen , then physical urine test. Or I can just pee once and they will use the pee for both tests or does it depend on the policies and practices of the organization conducting the exam.
@ Justin
Drug screening is not a part of the DOT/FMCSA physical examination process. Since drug screening is usually done separately, it will be what the policy and practices of the organization are.
So I took my DOT physical exam and I gave the urine sample for you know the protein and high blood pressure and all that bullshit so then after my physical they wanted me to take a the drug test so I couldn’t P so they marked it down as a fuck in positive because I couldn’t because I just Peed to get the sample for my proteins you know it’s it’s freaking bullshit you know the people down there basically cost me a job because they couldn’t take my urine and use it twice and it has a person supposed to P in a 20 minute window and then pee again
@ Mike P
You have the right to wait up to 4 hours before being denied as a fail to perform/refusal. A 20 minute window is not enough time to acquire additional urine for a drug screen. Go complain.
If I have been diagnosed with copd/asthma and have it well controlled with the medication I have been described with can I still getting a passing dot physical exam?
@ David N
The CME will have questions and will, most likely, be looking for supporting medical documentation. If everything check out and the rest of the examination is within normal limits, you have a good chance of passing.
I take no medication and I haven’t seen a doctor in many years other than to get a physical in 2020 will this be an issue. Thank you in advance
@ Delvi
Should not be an issue at all.
My has has recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Will he fail a DOT medical examine for this?
@ Lori
For a class A driver. He will need to be on a cpap for at lease 30 days with a report/readout demonstrating a 70% compliance, before he will pass a DOT/FMCSA medical certification examination.
I having trouble with getting a dot certificate,I explained to the doctor that I no longer drive an 18 wheeler, I’ll be driving my van and when my cdl’s expire in December, I will only need a class C license to work for this company, but this is the only time I need the certificate, he won’t give it to me unless I have a stress test. I will no run any numbers on my 3/4 ton van will be hauling under 10,000 lbs. What can I do to get certified?
@ Tom K Tx,
Best to down grade now. If you still hold a class A license, then the CME must maintain his obligations as a certified examiner.
@ Personal Struggle
Get an appointment, bring a smiling face, a way to pay, a need to pee, and picture ID.