Form 649-F - Medical Examination Report - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Page 4

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49 CFR 391.41 Physical Qualifications for Drivers
THE DRIVER'S ROLE
Responsibilities, work schedules, physical and emotional demands, and lifestyles among commercial drivers vary by the type of driving that they do. Some of the main types of
drivers include the following: turn around or short relay (drivers return to their home base each evening); long relay (drivers drive 9-11 hours and then have at least a 10-hour off-
duty period), straight through haul (cross country drivers); and team drivers (drivers share the driving by alternating their 5-hour driving periods and 5-hour rest periods.)
The following factors may be involved in a driver's performance of duties: abrupt schedule changes and rotating work schedules, which may result in irregular sleep patterns and
a driver beginning a trip in a fatigued condition; long hours; extended time away from family and friends, which may result in lack of social support; tight pickup and delivery
schedules, with irregularity in work, rest, and eating patterns, adverse road, weather and traffic conditions, which may cause delays and lead to hurriedly loading or unloading
cargo in order to compensate for the lost time; and environmental conditions such as excessive vibration, noise, and extremes in temperature. Transporting passengers or hazardous
materials may add to the demands on the commercial driver.
There may be duties in addition to the driving task for which a driver is responsible and needs to be fit. Some of these responsibilities are: coupling and uncoupling trailer(s) from
the tractor, loading and unloading trailer(s) (sometimes a driver may lift a heavy load or unload as much as 50,000 lbs. of freight after sitting for a long period of time without any
stretching period); inspecting the operating condition of tractor and/or trailer(s) before, during and after delivery of cargo; lifting, installing, and removing heavy tire chains; and,
lifting heavy tarpaulins to cover open top trailers. The above tasks demand agility, the ability to bend and stoop, the ability to maintain a crouching position to inspect the underside
of the vehicle, frequent entering and exiting of the cab, and the ability to climb ladders on the tractor and/or trailer(s).
In addition, a driver must have the perceptual skills to monitor a sometimes complex driving situation, the judgment skills to make quick decisions, when necessary, and the
manipulative skills to control an oversize steering wheel, shift gears using a manual transmission, and maneuver a vehicle in crowded areas.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
§391.41 PHYSICAL QUALIFICATIONS FOR
of a respiratory dysfunction likely to interfere with his
have an average hearing loss in the better ear greater than
ability to control and drive a commercial motor vehicle
DRIVERS
40 decibels at 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz and 2,000 Hz with or
(a) A person shall not drive a commercial motor vehicle
safely.
without a hearing device when the audiometric device is
unless he is physically qualified to do so and, except as
(6) Has no current clinical diagnosis of high blood pressure
calibrated to the American National Standard (formerly
provided in §391.67, has on his person the original, or a
likely to interfere with his ability to operate a commercial
ASA Standard) Z24.5-1951;
photographic copy, of a medical examiner's certificate that
motor vehicle safely.
(12)(i) Does not use any drug or substance identified in 21
he is physically qualified to drive a commercial motor
(7) Has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis
CFR 1308.11 Schedule I, an amphetamine, a narcotic, or
vehicle.
of rheumatic, arthritic, orthopedic, muscular,
other habit-forming drug.
(b) A person is physically qualified to drive a motor vehicle
neuromuscular, or vascular disease which interferes with
(ii) Does not use any non-Schedule I drug or substance that
if that person:
his ability to control and operate a commercial motor
is identified in the other Schedules in 21 part 1308 except
(1) Has no loss of a foot, a leg, a hand, or an arm, or has
vehicle safely.
when the use is prescribed by a licensed medical
been granted a Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE)
(8) Has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis
practitioner, as defined in § 382.107, who is familiar with
Certificate (formerly Limb Waiver Program) pursuant to
of epilepsy or any other condition which is likely to cause
the driver’s medical history and has advised the driver that
§391.49.
loss of consciousness or any loss of ability to control a
the substance will not adversely affect the driver’s ability to
(2) Has no impairment of: (i) A hand or finger which
commercial motor vehicle;
safely operate a commercial motor vehicle.
interferes with prehension or power grasping; or (ii) An
(9) Has no mental, nervous, organic, or functional disease
(13) Has no current clinical diagnosis of
arm, foot, or leg which interferes with the ability to perform
or psychiatric disorder likely to interfere with his ability to
alcoholism.
normal tasks associated with operating a commercial motor
drive a commercial motor vehicle safely;
vehicle; or any other significant limb defect or limitation
(10) Has distant visual acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in
which interferes with the ability to perform normal tasks
each eye without corrective lenses or visual acuity
associated with operating a commercial motor vehicle; or
separately corrected to 20/40 (Snellen) or better with
has been granted a SPE Certificate pursuant to §391.49.
corrective lenses, distant binocular acuity of at least 20/40
(3) Has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis
(Snellen) in both eyes with or without corrective lenses,
of diabetes mellitus currently requiring insulin for control;
field of vision of at least 70degrees in the horizontal
(4) Has no current clinical diagnosis of myocardial
meridian in each eye, and the ability to recognize the colors
infarction, angina pectoris, coronary insufficiency,
of traffic signals and devices showing standard red, green
thrombosis, or any other cardiovascular disease of a variety
and amber;
known to be accompanied by syncope, dyspnea, collapse,
(11) First perceives a forced whispered voice in the better
or congestive cardiac failure.
ear not less than 5 feet with or without the use of a hearing
(5) Has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis
aid, or, if tested by use of an audiometric device, does not

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