Are You Fit to be a Truck Driver? Posted by DC Cargo Mall on April 02, 2014

Are you fit to be a truck driver?

The DOT sets the clear standards of what your physical capabilities must include…do you know them?

First off, don’t assume that passing an exam to become a trucker only entails driving and filling out a written test correctly. 

There are physical weight requirements for a trucker, henceforth, the strength test.

Be sure you can 30, 50, and 75 pounds from waist to shoulder 3 times and tested with a heart monitor to boot.

Then you must be able to whisk 85 pounds for a distance of 150 feet. After that, you push at least 100 pounds which is done via a gauge device against a block. You also pull 100 whopping pounds with the same device. Then you’ve got to be able to step up onto a 26 to 30 inch high platform which is certainly a challenging feat. These are just a handful of the medical and physical screenings you are heading into.

Some are in the hopes of a trucking job where driving is all it entails and loading is never required of him. Get ready for a bubble burst if you are that guy because even those companies that have a maximum of 98% driving… have still got that 2% of the time load responsibility.

That’s one reason it is super important to be on top of one’s game with cargo securing knowledge as well as lifting and safety arranging capabilities.

To learn about proper safety, read up on the standard booklets of rules offered, stock up on quality tie-downs befitting your load type, and practice securing them in a couple times before setting out for the real thing. One fallen load and a fallen life could come right along with it.

If it is taking you time to build up the right strength and stamina, don’t fret. It’s only a matter of time. Nothing good comes too easy. 

An issue can spike up when taking the necessary medical exam. Long waiting lines, next available appointments far down the calendar, and hundreds of miles out of your way to find one.

That’s due in part to the growing number of truckers and the increasing demand that comes with it. Another factor is owed to the fact out of the goal for 40,000 examiners to be registered into the National Registry of Certified Examiners by May 21st, only a little more than 9,500 physicians are signed up.

However luckily, the FMCSA does not want inconvenienced truckers, and therefore offers a final rule of proposal to change this procedure. The new regulations would be that any certified professional could certify a driver for physical qualification. This bigger menu of examiner options will allow local and timely exams, as well as less precious time spent waiting on lines.