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How can commercial truck drivers prepare for DOT exams?
As a commercial truck driver, you need to know many guidelines and requirements. You must pass a DOT physical exam every two years if you work in a safety-sensitive position. It can be hard to remember everything to prepare between examinations properly, so review...
Five Steps to DOT Urine Collection Certification
A Department of Transportation (DOT) specimen collector plays a critical role. Your job is to ensure and verify the integrity of the screening process. You are the only person who has direct contact with the employee, and you start the chain of custody for test...
Hypertension and Passing Your DOT Physical Exam
Unfortunately, high blood pressure, referred to as hypertension, is becoming more common and affects nearly 50% of adults. In addition to taking care of your health problems today to prolong your life, you need to have your blood pressure under control to pass the...
8 Medical Conditions Affecting Your DOT Physical
If you are a commercial bus or truck driver or in another driving job with high safety demands, you may need to pass a Department of Transportation (DOT) physical. You will need to see a certified medical examiner to examine and issue a certificate for you. While most...
Do I qualify to be certified for DOT specimen collections?
Becoming a certified DOT specimen collector is an admirable step. You will be the first and only in-person contact to ensure public safety from substance use in safety-sensitive workplaces. Before you can take the certification course, there are a few requirements...
Tips To Prepare For Your DOT Physical
Being on the road driving can hit your health hard. Sitting in one place for hours can impact your circulatory system and hurt your legs and back, making you feel less like exercising when you do get a break. Long distance driving also requires you to be focused for...
Are there differences between DOT and non-DOT drug tests?
Whether you have to get a drug test, interpret it, or administer it, there are some differences you need to be aware of between Department of Transportation (DOT) and non-DOT drug tests. These readers point out some significant and not-so-obvious variations between...
How to Recertify as a DOT Medical Examiner in 2023
There is an updated version of this article for 2024, read it here: Taking the Medical Examiner Recertification Exam in 2024? The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires training and testing on the physical qualification standards and guidelines...
Don’t Sweat Your DOT Physical
If you are a professional truck or bus driver, then you’re familiar with Department of Transportation (DOT) physicals. They can be nerve-wracking if you are unprepared or don’t know what to expect. Here are some common questions drivers have and the answers you might...
What are the DOT violations requiring alcohol testing for commercial drivers?
A commercial license leads to strict regulation through the DOT to ensure public road safety. There are some moving violations and specific rules for alcohol consumption that all commercial drivers need to keep in mind. These driving experts discuss the top reasons...
Recent Posts
Tips to Help DOT Medical Examiners Grow Their Business
As with any new startup company, you have the training and the location. Whether you are adding DOT physical exams to your practice or opening a new one, you will need new customers to make your time and training work for you. Knowing the best way to do this can be...
7 Reasons You Should Require All New Hires Have a DOT Exam
The hiring process is an investment in time and money. It drags you away from profit-producing activities and starts a round of training for the new hire. As the new employee learns the ropes, they may work slower. And they often shadow your best employees, who must...
Direct Observation Urine Collection: When And How?
The Department of Transportation doesn’t want to invade a person’s privacy. When an employee comes in for testing, they enter the restroom alone, collect urine in the specimen jar, and hand it in as they leave the restroom. This system works in most cases but relies...
Driver Fatigue: The Signs and Solutions
If you’re a truck driver, you know how many hours of sleep you’re supposed to get. But no one told your two-month-old who was up all night with colic. It isn’t the first sleepless night since you brought the baby home, and you know it won’t be the last, but you still...
How to Get and Stay Ready for a DOT Audit
No one likes audits. The word has such a negative connotation, thanks to the IRS. However, DOT audits aren't about how much money or whether or not you filled out your tax forms correctly. It's about people going home to their families at the end of the day rather...