Physical Exams Forms at Issue
lthough the agency is not calling for specific changes to the medical qualifications, American Trucking Associations said the new forms would open the examination to “optional” procedures, which could include electrocardiograms, exercise stress tests and chest X-rays.
In comments filed Nov. 2, ATA also said the agency’s proposal would add two pages to what is now a one-page fill-out for a physical examination.
To reduce errors and promote more uniform examinations, FHWA is looking to simplify the forms used by physicians and other health-care specialists who examine truck drivers during the hiring process.
Besides adding to the cost of the exams, he said, the benefit of additional tests has not been scrutinized.
on Joseph, vice president of transportation, safety and maintenance for RPS Inc., Pittsburgh, said carriers generally appreciate the proposed form but not the additional tests and paperwork that likely would result. “There’s no reason for those tests to be there,” said Mr. Joseph, who chairs the ATA Safety Management Council’s Regulations Committee.
By law, drivers must pass a physical exam before they can get a commercial driver license. For years, the medical community has complained that the forms were cumbersome and confusing.
FHWA said it has received numerous calls from examination specialists complaining the forms are outdated and difficult to use. For example, the health history section asks about “fits, syphilis and gonorrhea and nervous stomach.” Other specialists contend that and other questions have nothing to do with driving ability.
Mr. Flatow said the new medical forms will include more in-depth and detailed instructions for physicians, who are sometimes unfamiliar with the demands of trucking.
