Federal guidelines mandate that all commercial drivers pass the DOT physical exam. The goal of this test is to determine whether a potential driver is physically capable of driving safely now and in the near future.

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

Health Requirements

Passing the DOT physical will require:

• Vision in both eyes, as well as each eye individually, need to be 20/40, with visual improvement devices, such as glasses or contacts allowed.
• Must be able to distinguish colors found on traffic signals.
• Hearing should be good enough to notice a forced whisper at a minimum distance of 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 controlled through insulin injections is not permitted.
• The maximum level of blood sugar an applicant is allowed to have is 200.
• Use of schedule 1 drugs is disallowed.
• In case you are currently diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease such as collapse, congestive cardiac failure or cardiac insufficiency, then you will be required to provide the Medical Examiner with a stress test along with a note from your physician which states that you are capable of driving a commercial motor vehicle with no restrictions.

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