It is mandated by federal guidelines that anyone applying for a CDL must pass the Department of Transportation physical exam. The goal of this test is to check whether an applicant is physically capable of driving safely now and in the foreseeable future.

Successfully passing the exam usually means you have 24 months before you need to do it again, unless you have some health problem which could become worse in the in the near term, in which case you’ll have to take the exam sooner.

Health Requirements

To pass the physical for the CDL you:

• With or without vision corrections, each eye, as well as both eyes combined, need to have 20/40 vision.
• Must 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.
• Your blood pressure must be lower than 160/100. Prescription medication may be employed to control blood pressure.
• An applicant can have diabetes which is controlled through diet or medication. Diabetes which is controlled through insulin injections is not permitted.
• Your blood sugar level must be less than 200.
• Use of schedule 1 drugs is strictly forbidden.

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