Here Are the 3 Steps In Your DOT Exam

Driving a commercial vehicle is a big deal, especially when you’re driving other people or carrying hazardous materials. It’s important to your safety and the safety of others that you’re healthy enough to drive long hours on the road.

Our team at Integrated Body and Medicine is happy to provide Department of Transportation (DOT) exams when you need to keep up your commercial driver’s license (CDL). Our team has several certified medical examiners who take the appropriate steps to ensure your health.

What is a DOT exam?

A DOT physical is an exam that you need to have every two years if you drive a commercial vehicle. The exam is mandated under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to ensure that you’re physically and mentally healthy enough to drive commercial vehicles.

A licensed medical examiner performs the physical exam to the DOT’s specifications. Our team has several providers that are able to provide this specialized exam.

The main reason you need a DOT physical is if you carry a commercial driver’s license. Other reasons you need this exam include:

• Driving a vehicle that’s capable of carrying more than 15 people
• Driving a vehicle that’s carrying hazardous materials with a placard
• Having a paid job driving a vehicle carrying more than eight people
• Driving on the interstate with a vehicle that has a gross weight over 10,000 pounds

If you fall under any of these categories, you need a DOT exam in order to continue driving and to ensure your safety and the safety of the public.

Understanding the 3 steps

When you come in for your DOT physical exam, you can expect three distinct steps in the process. These three steps include:

Reviewing your medical history

The first step in your DOT exam is the medical history. This is when we go over your medical history and any current medical problems you have.

We also need to know what medications, prescription or over-the-counter, that you take. This includes how often you take them, the dosage, and the strength of each medication.

You need to provide details of any surgical procedures you’ve had and a brief description of your family medical history.

The physical exam

After we review your medical history, it’s time for the physical exam portion of the exam. During this part of the exam, we:

• Ask for a urine sample
• Check your blood pressure, pulse, and respiration
• Listen to your heart and lungs
• Check the range of motion in your joints
• Check your reflexes

You also must pass an eye exam and a hearing test.

Receiving your certification

The last step of your DOT exam is the certification process. We review your medical history and the results of your physical exam. If you’re healthy enough to carry a CDL license, we complete the necessary paperwork to give you clearance to drive.

You get copies of the completed physical exam to take with you, one for your employer and another to keep with you. We also keep electronic records if you need to reference them.

After we process your paperwork, you receive a medical examiner's certificate, which you must keep with you at all times when you’re driving a commercial vehicle.

If you’re looking to schedule your DOT physical exam, don’t hesitate to call our office in the greater Highland and Hammond, Indiana, area. You can also send us a message on this website.