It is mandated by federal guidelines that anyone applying for a CDL must pass the Department of Transportation health exam. The purpose of this test is to check whether an applicant is physically capable of driving safely at the present time as well as in the foreseeable future.

Successfully passing the exam means you have 24 months before you need to do it again. However, in certain instances, this period might be shortened if serious health issues might arise in the future.

Department of Transportation CDL Physical Requirements

Below are the basic requirements for passing the DOT physical exam.

• Vision in both eyes, as well as each eye individually, need be 20/40, with visual improvement devices, such as glasses or contacts allowed.
• Needs to be able to distinguish colors found on traffic signals.
• Should be able to perceive a forced whisper at a distance of at least 5 feet.
• Maximum allowable blood pressure is 160/100. Use of prescription medication to achieve this threshold is permitted.
• An applicant can have diabetes which is controlled through diet or medication. Diabetes controlled through insulin injections is not permitted.
• Blood sugar may not be higher than 200.
• No use of a Schedule 1 drug, amphetamine, narcotic or any habit forming drug is permitted.

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