Department of Transportation Exam Q & A

What is a Department of Transportation exam?

A Department of Transportation (DOT) exam is the physical exam required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for anyone who drives a commercial motor vehicle.

Only licensed medical examiners listed by the FMCSA can perform the DOT exam. The Health & Wellness Center is a primary care practice that includes health providers licensed to perform the DOT exam.

Who needs a Department of Transportation exam?

Anyone who has a commercial driver’s license or drives a commercial motor vehicle needs a Department of Transportation exam. That includes truck drives and bus drivers.

The purpose of the DOT exam is to make sure you’re healthy enough to safely drive a commercial vehicle. This exam is about public safety.

The Health & Wellness Center also provides health exams and treatments for work-related injuries caused by driving, such as neck pain or back pain.

What happens during a Department of Transportation exam?

The Department of Transportation exam is a comprehensive physical. During a DOT exam, your provider:

• Tests your vision and hearing
• Measures your blood pressure
• Runs a urinalysis to assess organ function
• Assesses general appearance
• Measures lung and heart function
• Checks reflexes

Your provider also reviews your medical history and the types of medications and supplements you take. The team may also request you bring in copies of recent lab work and your immunization records.

If you have heart-related issues, you need to bring a letter from your cardiologist outlining your medical history and current medications. People with diabetes need to bring a recent hemoglobin A1C test and their blood sugar logs.

If you wear prescription eyeglasses or hearing aids, the team recommends you bring them to your appointment so they can properly assess your vision and hearing.

Your DOT exam certificate is valid for up to 24 months. If you have a health condition that may affect your ability to safely drive a commercial vehicle, your provider at The Health & Wellness Center may validate your DOT health certificate for less than 24 months.

In some cases, the team may not validate your DOT exam certificate and request you take care of the health issues affecting your ability to safely drive a commercial vehicle, such as an update in your prescription eyeglasses.

After you address the health issue, the team has you return to the office so they can validate your DOT health certificate.

To schedule your Department of Transportation exam at The Health & Wellness Center, call the office or book an appointment online today.