785-282-7388
Introducing
Get Your DOT Medical
Professional Medical Exams For
Professional Drivers:
Keeping you on the road and the public safe.
Dr. Dustin Cheney is an FMCSA Certified Medical Examiner (CME) and a licensed chiropractic physician with 20 years of experience in providing high-quality medical exams to professional drivers across the nation. Dr. Cheney believes in doing everything possible to keep you, the Professional Truck Driver, on the road and supporting the needs of our country. He recognizes that without truck transport, our country and economy would be severely crippled. We need our drivers and your ability to do your job is essential. Dr. Cheney will use the standards set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to keep you over the road.
How Much Will My Exam Cost?
Fees are due at the time service is rendered. Insurance billing is not offered for DOT Physicals.
$30
Clearance Letter Processing or updating the State and Federal registries with updated information
In the event that you were unable to provide a clearance letter that was required by the FMCSA during your physical exam from a prescribing provider (for medications) or a supervising provider (for certain physical and mental conditions), you may have been issued a shortened duration medical certificate. Reprocessing your medical certificate with updated information does not require a new physical and can be accomplished with this administrative charge.
$99
"Trucker Doctor" Wellness Check Up
The FMCSA does not require all drivers to have basic laboratory services. However, we recommend that all drivers take their health seriously. For only $99, you can receive a comprehensive laboratory analysis and interpretation including:
Complete Blood Count
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
Thyroid Testing
Cholesterol Panel
Men over 40 should also receive a PSA to monitor for prostate cancer every 5 years which can be added for $25 to this testing.
What is a DOT Exam?
Do you get paid to operate a motor vehicle? If so, there is a good chance you are required to periodically receive a DOT physical, or DOT exam.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires these exams in order for professionals (particularly truck and bus drivers) to obtain or maintain a commercial driving license and make sure that nothing will negatively impact their driving performance.
In order to comply with federal law, a qualified examiner – a doctor or other provider, like Dr. Dustin S. Cheney, must complete your DOT physical. Not all doctors are certified to preform FMCSA approved medical exams that qualify to meet the standards and requirements for commercial driving.
A typical physical begins by reviewing your medical history and asking you to list the medications you take on a regular basis. During your physical, your examiner will also:
Check your blood pressure, as well as your pulse
Perform a vision test, since drivers are required to have at least 20/40 acuity in each eye
Examine your ears and, in particular, your ability to perceive a “forced whisper” from at least 5 feet away
Check for spine deformities
Look at your mouth and throat for problems breathing or swallowing
Perform a neurological exam to make sure your coordination and reflexes are not impaired
Listen to your heart and lungs for murmurs and impaired respiratory functions
Press on your abdomen to check for abnormalities
Perform a hernia check
Conduct urinalysis for indications of underlying medical conditions
If you’ve been given the green light during your medical exam, your examiner will then issue you a medical certificate, which, if you do not require periodic medical monitoring, will be valid for two years. In some cases, the examiner may issue a certificate that lasts for only three months, six months, or a year. If you do not pass the exam, your examiner will not be able to issue you a certificate.
Contact Me
Exams are scheduled by appointment only. Though GetYourDotMedical.com can often accommodate same-day appointments, it is recommended that you schedule your DOT Medical Exam at least 30 days before your current medical certificate expires.
114 W. Kansas Smith Center KS 66967
785-282-7388
Understanding a DOT Physical
A DOT physical is designed to assess and test the general health of people who want to drive and operate certain types of commercial vehicles. The DOT test examines your physical, mental, and emotional health to ensure you can safely operate commercial vehicles without putting yourself and others at risk.[8] Each state has its own specific regulations for the DOT physical.
The DOT physical is required for those who want to operate a motor vehicle designed to carry more than 15 people or who are paid to operate a motor vehicle that carries more than eight people. Those who want to transport hazardous materials or operate a motor vehicle with a gross weight of over 10,000 pounds are also required to undergo a DOT physical.
Those who complete and meet the requirements of a DOT physical receive a DOT medical card or certificate valid for up to 24 months.[9]
Risks of a DOT Physical
A DOT physical is noninvasive and poses no serious health or medical risks. The doctor performing the exam might ask questions about your personal health that make you uncomfortable, such as about your history of mental illness or drug use. You might be asked to provide a urine sample and undergo a hernia test that requires the doctor to place their hands on your pelvis.[10]
What to Expect With a DOT Physical
During your appointment for a DOT physical, the examiner assesses your physical and mental health to ensure no medical conditions will interfere with your ability to drive and operate a vehicle safely. The doctor performs a series of tests to check your blood pressure, vision, hearing, digestive, and mental health. You might also undergo urinalysis for diabetes and drug testing.
A DOT physical can take between 30 minutes and one hour to complete. Drivers who have existing medical conditions are urged to bring the appropriate related documents and items with them to the appointment.
Drivers are required to disclose all known health conditions with their doctors at the time of the DOT exam. Failing to disclose certain health conditions can result in disqualification for a DOT medical card and legal fines, in some cases.
5 Reasons You Would Need a DOT Physical
1. Vision Testing
Under Department of Transportation (DOT) regulation, good vision is required to drive and operate a commercial vehicle. The DOT physical requires drivers to have 20/40 vision with or without the use of corrective lenses.[1] This means you must be able to see at least 20/40 with both eyes, or at least 20/40 with either the right eye or left eye. Those with monovision may be disqualified from getting a DOT medical card.
2. Drug Testing
Drug testing may be performed to ensure drivers do not use habit-forming substances that compromise the safety of themselves and others while operating commercial vehicles. Drug testing may be required for those who work for certain DOT departments with safety-sensitive positions, including the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, and Federal Railroad Administration.[2] DOT-regulated drug tests are required to use urine samples only.
DOT drug tests screen for cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, THC, marijuana, and PCP. Those who test positive for these drugs may be interviewed to determine whether an alternative medical explanation can be provided for substances found in the urinalysis.
3. Hearing Testing
Good hearing is required to drive and operate a commercial vehicle under the DOT. The DOT physical requires you to be able to hear a forced whisper in one ear within a distance of five feet without the use of a hearing aid.[3] However, you can still pass the DOT physical if you use a hearing aid in the other ear.
4. Brain and Neurological Screening
A DOT physical includes brain and neurological screening to identify brain injuries and neurological disorders that cause epilepsy or seizures. People diagnosed with epilepsy or who have a history of seizures will be disqualified from receiving a DOT medical card, even if seizures can be controlled.[4] This policy is in place to ensure the safety of drivers, passengers, and others should a driver experience a seizure while operating a vehicle.
5. Cardiovascular Screening
Good heart health is required to pass the DOT physical. Evidence suggests that drivers of commercial vehicles are more likely to suffer cardiovascular disease and events that put themselves and others at risk for injury and death.[5] Blood pressure readings may be taken to assess the risk for heart attack or heart disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of medical illness and sudden death in drivers who operate commercial motor vehicles.[6]
Drivers with heart-related issues are required to bring a letter from their cardiologist to the DOT physical that outlines their medical history and list of heart medications. Those who have a history of serious heart problems or who use medical devices like defibrillators and pacemakers may be disqualified from receiving a DOT medical card.[7]
Questions to Ask Your Doctor About a DOT Physical
How often do I need a DOT physical?
What happens if I fail the DOT physical?
Can any of my medical conditions be waived to pass the DOT physical?
What medical conditions disqualify me from passing the DOT physical?
Will my DOT medical card be valid to use in other states?
Will drug testing be included in my DOT physical?
DOT Physical May Also be Known as:
DOT exam
DOT test
Driver’s physical
DMV physical
Sources
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Examining FMCSA Vision Standard for CMV Drivers and Waiver Program. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/research-and-analysis/examining-fmcsa-vision-standard-cmv-drivers-and-waiver-program
U.S. Department of Transportation. Resources for Key Persons: Employees. https://www.transportation.gov/odapc/employee
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. What are the hearing requirements for CMV drivers? https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/faq/what-are-hearing-requirements-cmv-drivers
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Applications; Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/notices/2014-12790
National Center for Biotechnology Information. The Association between Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Motor Vehicle Crashes among Professional Truck Drivers. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4980233/
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Cardiovascular Advisory Panel Guidelines for the Medical Examination of Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/medical/cardiovascular-advisory-panel-guidelines-medical-examination-commercial-motor
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Recommended Changes to Cardiovascular Disease Guidelines. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/medical/recommended-changes-cardiovascular-disease-guidelines
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Why is the DOT physical examination important? https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/faq/why-dot-physical-examination-important
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. DOT Medical Exam and Commercial Motor Vehicle Certification. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/medical/driver-medical-requirements/dot-medical-exam-and-commercial-motor-vehicle-certification
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Medical Examiner Handbook. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/mission/advisory-committees/mrb/83401/fmcsa
A special thank you is provided to https://www.solvhealth.com/health-a-z/dot-physical
for providing a great deal of this information for drivers about the DOT Physical and what drivers can expect.