Getting Ready for Your DOT Physical

If you’ve got to get your physical certification updated to keep driving, it helps to review the health outcomes they test for ahead of time, so you can get on track with any necessary stabilizing treatments on your own before your condition comes under review. It’s not uncommon for professional drivers to have periods where their vitals temporarily fall into the danger zone as they age, but you need to be able to follow up with your personal physician in a timely way to ensure the official physical demonstrates you are maintaining your health in between certifications. That means understanding what they look for and what you can do to be healthier.

Main Concerns for the DOT

The Department of Transportation has a very limited range of health concerns it tests for, but they are vital to its interest in protecting the public and ensuring the safety of professional drivers. The big things they look for are signs of heart disease or failure, uncontrolled diabetes, and drug use that is prohibited by law and DOT regulation. There are a series of tests they use to look for these conditions and others related to them, but most of those concerns relate back to the circulatory system, blood sugar level, and drug use of the driver, in addition to the common sense basic checks of your vision and hearing that are required to be sure you will spot dangers in traffic.

Finding a Nearby Exam Location

When you need to have an updated DOT physical Corpus Christi TX, you want to get it done and get back on the road without a lot of hassle or extra travel time. Finding a local provider and working with them on each certification also gives you a sense of consistency about the way standards are interpreted and the procedures for the physical. That familiarity can help many people, because medical anxiety is common even when patients are sure they are in good health and they are just getting a check-up.

Don’t wait to keep your paperwork up to date, because the certification physical is a core part of satisfying the requirements of a commercial driver’s license so you can keep working, and don’t forget to follow up with your personal doctor about any surprising results. That way, you can stay healthy and stay on the road.