So you want to be a
trucker? First, you have to make sure that you’re healthy enough.
Trucking means
traveling thousands of miles across many states almost non-stop. An
existing medical condition on top of a physically-demanding job is a
double whammy. Certain diseases and conditions can deny you the
opportunity to get behind the wheel of a semi. This is done to make
sure that you will efficiently and safely do your job without
endangering yourself and other motorists.
The Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) considers four medical
conditions as grounds for disqualification: hearing loss, vision
loss, epilepsy, and use of insulin. The first three are
non-negotiable, but the fourth can exempt drivers through the Federal
Diabetes Exemption program.
This doesn't mean these
are the only conditions. Medical professionals can still render a
candidate unfit for trucking duty due to other diseases such as
narcolepsy, sleep apnea, dementia, vertigo, and chronic kidney
disease. If the conditions fail to meet the guidelines under 49 CFR
391.41, a person won't be getting into trucks for a lifetime.
Given that a lot of
diseases mentioned can be chronic, it's important to invest in good
health from the start. Do everything you can to become healthy before
a medical exam and thereafter, to get and keep you driving a semi.
Trucking will demand every single cell in your body to do their part
in ensuring safety of the cargo and fellow motorists on the road.
No comments:
Post a Comment