The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) is one of the federal agencies that has been entrusted with the task of ensuring that the interstate motorways are safe. They do this by working to reduce the numbers of commercial truck accidents. Through their office of medical programs, the agency works to ensure that all commercial drivers are healthy enough to be safe drivers.
Currently, the FMCSA requires all drivers to complete a DOT (Department of Transportation) medical exam. The exam can be done by a physician, a doctor of osteopathy, a nurse with advanced credentials or even a chiropractor. After the examination, the doctor issues a medical certificate that is valid for exactly two years. In the event of less than desirable medical conditions, however, the doctor may opt to issue a certificate for a shorter time period. Such conditions can include issues like high blood pressure or other health concerns that may require further monitoring.
Under current regulations, drivers are required to keep these certifications in their vehicle. They must be printed on DOT verified forms and signed by the administering doctor. However, all commercial drivers have recently been required to send evidence of their medical certification to their state's licensing agencies. The state agencies have, in turn, been obligated to send that proof to the national driver's license database.
Once the national database has all of the records, drivers will no longer be required to carry their medical certificates. The requirement to carry the medical examiner's certificate was set to expire in 2012. Not all of the states, however, have been successful in submitting the proper records to the national agency in time. Due to these delays, the FMSCA has proposed an extension.
The extension would require drivers to carry their medical cards until January 30, 2014. After the extension period, the national database should have the necessary information from the state agencies, and the requirement would be lifted.
