If you are going to drive certain kinds of vehicles, you have to have a special license. Part of the requirements of having those specific licenses is having a valid physical on record. The physical has to be done to the Department of Transportation's specifications, not just any physical. That means that you need to find a medical provider who can perform one of these physicals. So, what is going to happen in one of these physicals?

Things to Bring

Part of your physical is going to involve things that you should bring with you. These things include a current list of all your medications, including current dosage and what you are taking them for; your glasses and/or contacts; a record of your A1C if you have diabetes; and reports from specialist doctors. All those things will make it easier for the doctor doing the examination, and you will need them during the exam. 

Visual Exam

Part of the DOT exam is to check how good your eyes are. You need to have eyes that are at least 20/40 in each eye, and that is corrected or uncorrected. What 20/40 vision means that when you are standing at 20 feet, you can see something that a person with uncorrected vision would see clearly at 40 feet. Having 20/40 vision means that you are a little bit nearsighted, which means that you have a harder time seeing things that are far away. Both of your eyes have to meet that requirement.

Hearing Exam

The doctor doing the DOT exam is going to also test your hearing. You need to be able to hear what is going on out on the road, including things like horns and emergency sirens. If you have a hearing aid, you will need to make sure that you are wearing it during this exam. One way that they are going to test your hearing is to do something called a forced whisper from at least five feet away, and they will do this for both ears. You have to be able to clearly hear what they are saying in at least one ear. 

If you want to be able to get a commercial driver's license, you have to be able to pass a DOT physical. Knowing some of what goes into the physical will make it easier for you to make sure that you are ready for the test.

For more information about a DOT physical exam, talk to your doctor.