It is mandated by federal guidelines that all commercial drivers pass the DOT health exam. The purpose of this exam is to determine whether an applicant is fit enough to drive safely now and in the near future.

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

Department of Transportation Requirements

The basic requirements for passing a DOT physical exam are:

• 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.
• Needs to be able to distinguish colors found on traffic signals.
• Hearing needs to be good enough to notice a forced whisper at a minimum distance of 5 feet.
• Your blood pressure must be under 160/100. Prescription medication may be employed to control blood pressure.
• Cannot have diabetes that requires insulin injections; diabetes controlled through a diet or oral medication is permitted.
• The maximum level of blood sugar an applicant is allowed to have is 200.
• No use of a Schedule 1 drug, amphetamine, narcotic or any habit forming drug is permitted.
• In case you are currently diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease such as collapse, congestive cardiac failure or cardiac insufficiency, then you will have to present the Medical Examiner with a stress test as well as with a note from your physician stating that you are able to drive a commercial motor vehicle with no restrictions.

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