CDL Medical Card

Milan

Member
Wondering if anyone here has renewed their CDL medical card since they stopped allowing your family physician to give you the exam. There must be some stories out there.
 
YES...A "difference of opinion" on significance of very slightly elevated blood pressure causes me to be on a 1 year instead of two year card. My doc. doesn't do them anymore. I'll not renew anymore as I'm retired now.
 
Ya had to drive to Tulsa OK to get one years ago. 250 plus mile one way. Since I am retired but do not want to give up the CLD I have since had to do a thing that makes it so I do not need the exam but still keep the CDL
 
I have had to have mine renewed once a year since 1987 ( diabetic). I have always went to a clinic that does itand never had any problems.
 
Check around the major truckstops in the area, if they don't have a place inside there is usually one in a surounding building. A lot of chiropractors are doing it now too, that's where I get mine.
 
I went in yesterday and got my physical. Had to go to a genuine authorized medical place because my family doctor is not authorized any longer.

The lady said that since I had not ever been there before and she did not know me, and I am on blood pressure medicine, that I am now on a one year test schedule too.

She did say that next year, since I will then have a "track record" in her office, if my pressure is still good, she will give me a two year certificate.

She told me the big deal now is sleep apnea. She said that if there is any indication of it, she has to deny the medical card until testing and treatment is completed. I asked her what would indicate sleep apnea during the exam, one of the things she said was a neck circumference of 17 inches or more.

I thought I was being BS'd but, I came home and got on the internet and looked it up, it appears to be fact.

She even asked me if I snore in my sleep. She said she had to ask, and if the answer was affirmative, she would have to request the sleep study.

She told me that the "rules" are changing all the time, and we "haven't seen anything yet".

She said the most inexpensive test for sleep apnea is more than a thousand dollars.
 
The Dr. at my work did mine the last time. I use my CDL's at work to drive trucks across the highway. I have gone to the local CVS pharmacy with the minute clinic to get my health card. This was very easy no hassle at all.
 
Milan I was told the same thing about where you have to go back in Nov.. The price for physical ( in this area) can run any where from $65.00 to over $180.00. That stuff about sleep apnea has been going on a number of years. I don't know of anybody that doesn't snore and most of the time the only way you find out somebody tells you you were snoring.
 
(quoted from post at 10:25:38 01/29/15) I went in yesterday and got my physical. Had to go to a genuine authorized medical place because my family doctor is not authorized any longer.

The lady said that since I had not ever been there before and she did not know me, and I am on blood pressure medicine, that I am now on a one year test schedule too.

She did say that next year, since I will then have a "track record" in her office, if my pressure is still good, she will give me a two year certificate.

She told me the big deal now is sleep apnea. She said that if there is any indication of it, she has to deny the medical card until testing and treatment is completed. I asked her what would indicate sleep apnea during the exam, one of the things she said was a neck circumference of 17 inches or more.

I thought I was being BS'd but, I came home and got on the internet and looked it up, it appears to be fact.

She even asked me if I snore in my sleep. She said she had to ask, and if the answer was affirmative, she would have to request the sleep study.

She told me that the "rules" are changing all the time, and we "haven't seen anything yet".

She said the most inexpensive test for sleep apnea is more than a thousand dollars.

My regular Doctor is also licensed to give the exam, however it is done in a different office that is dedicated to work related stuff.

A year ago the clinic we use at work had a Doctor administering the tests and he had decided to be an "early adopter" of the BMI and neck circumference rules and was sending everybody that was even the slightest over for sleep study. Ron and I went to different clinic.

So, I asked my doctor about those rules and he informed me they were nothing more than guidelines and it was up to the examining Doctor's discretion whether or not to require the sleep study.

My Doc told me as long as I was in reasonable physical condition and since I don't drive full time* or long distance OTR that he would pass me.

* I am a mechanic full time and maintain a CDL, as do two others here, so we have extra drivers if the full time guy can't work.
 
I've gotten mine at the same clinic for the past three years. I've got "white coat syndrome" which causes my blood pressure to go up the minute I see a doctor. I've been checking it at home and it's always fine....until I hit the Dr's office. That being the case I tell them that when I go in. This usually equates to them checking my BP with the machine and finding it high. They then let me sit for a little bit before coming back in and checking it manually. So far I haven't had a problem getting mine renued on a 2 year basis, without having top be medicated for a problem that doesn't really exist.
 
I'm assuming they have to be licensed is all, having met certain criteria by DOT-FMCSA ? My regular doctor, issued my 2013 medical examiners certificate, I had my regular and D.O.T. exam at the same time. The one I just took on 1-22-15, was a little more involved than the previous one.

I am not sure if my regular doctor still performs the medical examination per DOT-FMCSA, but she did list a medical examiners license or certificate No./Issuing State, and it was a six digit number, so I assume she would keep it current if she had it before. I've yet to catch up to her at the new practice she moved to, but will likely this spring or early summer for a regular physical examination.
 
My family physician did mine about a year ago. Did I miss something in the last 12 months?

I know things did change in that I needed the med card to get my license renewed and the renewal office told me I needed to file that everytime I get a new med card if I wanted my CDL to be valid.

jt
 
See my post on tractor talk, there is a link to the FMCSA registry of certified medical examiners, and something did change 5-21-14, relative to this.
 

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