Being Ready For Your DOT Physical

For commercial drivers, passing their DOT physical exam is a regular part of maintaining their license. Unfortunately, individuals can often make mistakes that may result in them performing poorly on these examinations.

Get Plenty Of Rest Before The Physical

Failing to get enough rest prior to the physical can impact your health assessment in a number of different ways. For example, you may find it more difficult to pass the eye exam portion of the physical due to being more prone to eye fatigue and strain. Additionally, a person's blood pressure or heart rate may be abnormal if they are sleep-deprived. Making sure to get a full night's rest prior to the physical can be a simple way to avoid these potential impairments.

Avoid Salt And Coffee Intake Prior To The Physical

Blood pressure issues and high heart rates can be common problems that individuals may experience. Unfortunately, consuming a diet that is rich in salt or drinking a lot of coffee or other caffeine products can cause your blood pressure and heart rate to be significantly elevated during the physical. For several days prior to the physical, you may wish to minimize your intake of salt and caffeine so that you can avoid artificially inflating these vital statistics before your physical assessment.

Always Prioritize Managing Any Medical Conditions

There are many individuals that will suffer from medical issues that may not directly impair their ability to drive, but they will have to be effectively managed. Some individuals may fail to follow all of the directions that their doctor has recommended for managing their chronic health conditions, and this can lead to these issues worsening over time. Eventually, this could result in you failing your DOT physical as a result of these conditions, potentially putting you at risk of having a medical incident while driving. For a professional driver, a priority will have to be placed on managing any chronic conditions that could potentially result in the loss of their license.

Passing your DOT physical can be an important but stressful part of maintaining your commercial driver's license. By taking a few proactive steps to avoid mistakes that could worsen your performance during these evaluations, you can help to make these assessments less stressful. In particular, appreciating the need to get plenty of rest the night before the physical, avoiding excessive salt and caffeine intake prior to the evaluation, and aggressively managing any chronic health conditions will help you avoid common mistakes.