As we have discussed previously, driving with a CDL is a huge responsibility. You are responsible for your own safety, the safety of the cargo you are driving for your employer, and the safety of others on the road. Especially since your vehicle is almost always bigger, stronger, and potentially more damage-inducing in an accident than other non-commercial vehicles sharing the road with you.
Oftentimes, it can feel like the commercial driver is held to a significantly higher standard – for driving and health – than other drivers on the road. This is true and really, understandably so.
Because a commercial driver – a CDL holder – does have so much responsibility on the roadway, he or she must accept that keeping a ‘safe’ bill of health is a major part of that responsibility.
Commercial drivers sometimes get frustrated with the DOT physical requirements – including the standard health tests, necessary documentations, additional or follow-up tests, potentially needing to have (and pass) specialist appointments, possible provisionary terms, and then regular re-certifications – required to get their DOT medical card.
Yet, truly, all these things merely do serve to help ensure the driver is safe on the road—for their own good, as well as for that of others.
Just imagine—what if you did have a medical condition come up out of the blue so that you didn’t know about it? And then, when it reared its head, it did so in a way that created a fatal accident?
Now, not only would your commercial driving career have a strong chance of being over, you would have the emotional side to deal with also. Most likely, you would always wonder if things would have turned out differently had you known about the condition. Many a driver has developed severe depression – also affecting their family, friendships, and life in general – over similar questions, not even health-related (and often, NOT preventable or not able to be forseen). Consequently, it may not be just a commercial driving career that ends but rather, the ability to work at all.
Thus, a CDL holder simply must be willing to accept the responsibilities that come with the license – including passing and maintaining the DOT physical – or face suspensions, penalties, and fines.
What specifically happens if a commercial driver is found driving with no DOT physical certification?
Generally, it’s not common to find a CDL holder driving without any DOT physical certification as its basically required for all commercial drivers to get or renew their license. However, if the DOT physical certification expires and has not been re-certified, the DOT will suspend your CDL.
At this point, the suspension information is transmitted to the appropriate licensing agency. After that, if you drive through a weigh station or get pulled over for any reason, you will be issued an out-of-service citation. This means you will not be allowed to drive any further. You will also very likely get tickets, fines, and sanctions. Furthermore, since this will put any employer in a bind, there is a strong probability you will lose your job when this happens too.
What if you have an accident as a commercial driver, without a DOT physical?
Even more severe is if you are involved in an accident as a commercial driver and you don’t have a DOT physical certification (or it has expired).
If this happens, you are essentially driving a commercial vehicle without a commercial license since your license would have been suspended or revoked when your DOT medical certification was not renewed. This is a very big deal. There is a chance you could lose your license for life. If drugs or alcohol were involved, arrest is standard.
So, what if your DOT physical has expired?
The bottom line answer to this question is get it taken care of now. Sure, you can find “back in the day” stories in the forums, talking about guys who would use an expired CDL as an excuse for a day off from work. Or you’ll hear the random tale of the company that “covers” for its employees for “a few days.”
However, that just simply isn’t the case anymore. Most reputable companies consider the renewal of your DOT medical certification your responsibility and expect you to stay on top of when it’s time to renew. Furthermore, with the huge penalties involved with knowingly letting a driver on the road when their DOT physical has expired – and the potential liability or business interruption if the driver gets in an accident or is caught driving without it – and you’d be hard-pressed to find any company today who doesn’t take this responsibility very seriously.
Yet, despite all this, it can inevitably happen. If it does – or if yours is right on the verge of expiring – it should be taken care of ASAP. There are many approved DOT physical providers who offer same-day DOT physical appointments and even take walk-ins for the DOT physical exam. We, for example, make it a point to perform our Florida DOT physicals as quickly as possible.
Get in and get it taken care of… This information will be quickly transmitted to the DOT. In most cases, re-testing will not be required unless you let your medical certification lapse for more than six months.
Likewise, today, even if you are not currently driving but hold a CDL, you must keep your DOT medical certification current.
Even if you are not actively driving – or are not actively employed – your CDL will be suspended if you have a lapse in your medical certification. Thus, if you ever plan to go back to driving in the future, it’s wise to keep your DOT physical up-to-date.