The joke of it is that a truck driver can walk into almost any T/A travel center and for about $3.50 buy a DOT medical card. Fill it out, sign it and you’re good to go. No worrying about blood pressure, BMI, sore back or any of that other inconvenience stuff. No dealing with 3rd rate doctors, rude nurses or waiting for hours to get in to some strip mall clinic where all they really care about is your $95. That’s the DOT physical nonsense.
In fact, right next to my computer is item 15-MP (6147) – printed and sold by J.J. Keller & Associates out of Neenah, WI – Medical Examination Report & Medical Examiner’s Certificate. There are 8 neatly folded pages inside. Let’s open it up. Set the top sample page aside and what do we have – a brand new unfilled out Medical Examiner’s Certificate, aka DOT medical card, when after filled out, is ready to be laminated. A laminate cover is included! Next in the pack is an actual Medical Examination Report – For Commercial Driver Determination. Like the Medical Examiner’s Certificate, if all this is filled out with the appropriate boxes check, a driver is good to go.
Sure it’s against the law – forgery and fraud and all that, but who is going to find out? Let’s say I’m an owner – operator booking my own freight. My accountability is limited as far as who I have to submit paperwork to. I don’t have to send my log to a safety department. I buy my own fuel. What is to stop me from filling out my own DOT physical forms. There is no way, if I’m inspected, that the “officer” can determine if my medical card was done by me or not. I’m courteous and professional and say yes, sir to everything, he looks at my license, logbook, medical card – neatly filled out and signed and I’m on my way.
Now I’ve told you all before that going for a DOT physical is demeaning, degrading, humiliating and utterly unpleasant. We might have the finest medical care in the world, but the DOT physical for truck drivers is at the bottom of the health care barrel. The worst ones are given by trucking companies when you’re at the first day of driver orientation on a new job. The experience is similar to being fingerprinted at central booking after being arrested. You’re not a patient, you’re a piece of meat being shuffled along with 15 or more other drivers in and out a clinic door in the worst neighborhood in the city.
There is a thick cloud of smoke as drivers wait their turn. Smokers are in overdrive. There is not one calm person in the bunch. You’re called to face the dreaded blood pressure cuff. The “technician” just graduated from the Acme medical assistant academy and cosmetology school. If you’re lucky you will see Dr. Dread, who attended to medical school in Guatemala and is getting his early morning jollies by getting to “feel-up” 15 disgusting men – the majority of whom will be sent home because they will fail the drug- urine test.
There’s an article that was sent to me by my amazingly astute brother, who, although not a truck driver – he is President of his own delivery service – has gone through this DOT physical nonsense. It is by Timothy Cama, staff writer for Light & Medium Truck magazine – the July 2011 issue. Here’s the link LMT/DOT MED/LOTR.
It addresses new requirements for “medical professionals” giving driver physicals. “When regulations are implemented, truck drivers will be required to seek out “medical professionals” listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners, a list of professionals who have taken a federally mandated course and test about the examinations, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said in proposed the registry.” Cama writes that “A proposal to register commercial medical examiners may cause temporary shortages and higher fees, but eventually improve the process, federal spokesman said.”
Listen, registry, shmistry. This is all shyster medicine. If this “system” worked, I estimate 35% of all truck drivers would immediately be disqualified to drive. They would be getting serious medical assistance with their blood pressure, depression, sleep apnea, obesity, smoking, diabetes and a whole host of “conditions” and not behind the wheel. If these same drivers were airline pilots, they would certainly be disqualified from flying, but truck drivers – the unskilled labor that we are – still are allowed do the job and get paid bubkas to do so.
If you liked that post, then try these...
No comments:
Post a Comment