Federal guidelines mandate that anyone applying for a commercial drivers license must pass the DOT health exam. The goal of this exam is to check whether an applicant is fit enough to drive safely now and in the foreseeable future.

Successfully passing the exam usually means you only have to take the exam in 24 months. In some cases, this period might be decreased if serious health issues could appear in the future.

Health Requirements

Passing the DOT physical will require:

• Need to have 20/40 correctable vision in each eye as well as both combined. Vision correction devices such as glasses or contacts are allowed.
• Ability to distinguish color is necessary.
• Hearing needs to be good enough to notice a forced whisper at a minimum distance of 5 feet.
• Maximum allowable blood pressure is 160/100. Use of prescription medication to achieve this threshold is allowed.
• Cannot have diabetes that requires insulin injections; diabetes controlled through a diet or oral medication is permitted.
• Your blood sugar level must be at most 200.
• Use of schedule 1 drugs is forbidden.

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