In early January, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Medical Review Board formally voted to recommend the Agency require use of its "driver fitness for duty" matrix.
The matrix consists of medical and psychological conditions which could disqualify millions of drivers from commercial driving or force some truck drivers to undergo not one, but two, DOT physicals per year. Drivers with more than one physical condition, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or a body mass index of 35 or higher, would be either pulled from the road or required to be medically certified as often as twice a year. Haz-mat haulers and bus drivers with any diagnosed psychological disorder would face additional scrutiny.
These new recommendations, and the accompanying matrix, are not sitting well with truck drivers.
“I personally get more and more frustrated every time this panel meets,” said Melissa Theriault Rohan, OOIDA associate director of government affairs, told Landline Magazine. “While there is plenty of talk about potential new standards and procedures, little evidence, if any, gets presented to show that anyone would be safer on roads and highways because of these measures.”
These recommendations are just that, recommendations. The board that created this matrix is advisory in nature and the FMCSA does not have to implement any of these suggestions. If the matrix is adopted, the industry that stands to gain the most is going to be doctors and clinics who will see a considerable increase in appointments from truck drivers. Truck drivers will have to take time off the road to visit their physicians causing more down time.
There is little proof that enacting these requirements will do anything to change safety conditions since no government agency or academic institution has produced a credible study linking poor commercial driver health to an increase in traffic crashes.
As we have already reported many times, drivers are more aware than ever that they need to be in good physical and psychological shape. In fact, we've written about it ourselves on more than one occasion.
More and more drivers are taking it upon themselves to make time for exercise and are eating better. Drivers aren't stupid and they certainly don't want to harm anyone while they are driving. Adding more hoops to jump through is hardly conducive to happy drivers.
The matrix consists of medical and psychological conditions which could disqualify millions of drivers from commercial driving or force some truck drivers to undergo not one, but two, DOT physicals per year. Drivers with more than one physical condition, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or a body mass index of 35 or higher, would be either pulled from the road or required to be medically certified as often as twice a year. Haz-mat haulers and bus drivers with any diagnosed psychological disorder would face additional scrutiny.
These new recommendations, and the accompanying matrix, are not sitting well with truck drivers.
“I personally get more and more frustrated every time this panel meets,” said Melissa Theriault Rohan, OOIDA associate director of government affairs, told Landline Magazine. “While there is plenty of talk about potential new standards and procedures, little evidence, if any, gets presented to show that anyone would be safer on roads and highways because of these measures.”
These recommendations are just that, recommendations. The board that created this matrix is advisory in nature and the FMCSA does not have to implement any of these suggestions. If the matrix is adopted, the industry that stands to gain the most is going to be doctors and clinics who will see a considerable increase in appointments from truck drivers. Truck drivers will have to take time off the road to visit their physicians causing more down time.
There is little proof that enacting these requirements will do anything to change safety conditions since no government agency or academic institution has produced a credible study linking poor commercial driver health to an increase in traffic crashes.
As we have already reported many times, drivers are more aware than ever that they need to be in good physical and psychological shape. In fact, we've written about it ourselves on more than one occasion.
More and more drivers are taking it upon themselves to make time for exercise and are eating better. Drivers aren't stupid and they certainly don't want to harm anyone while they are driving. Adding more hoops to jump through is hardly conducive to happy drivers.
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