Arnold SAFETY Consulting I


saw this rule-change adver- tised a few weeks ago, and my bloodran cold.Allow


me to explain by giving a brief histo- ry. Ensuring commercial drivers are medically qualified was a simple pro- cess, once upon a time. Drivers were required to go to a doctor at least once every two (2) years to be exam- ined, using guidelines found in the regulations.


If the driver met those


guidelines, the doctor would quali- fy the driver for up to two (2) years, and give them a card, on which was a date in the future, when the period of qualification would expire. The driver would then carry that


card with him and give a copy to his employer. He was then qualified, until the expiration date, when he would need to be re-examined. Relatively simple. About 10–15 years ago, the FMCSA, trying to control every-


thing, decided to link the medical examination to the com- mercial driver licensing (CDL) process. CDL drivers are now required to submit copies of their medicals to their respective State DMV offices, who then attach that information to their CDL driver record. This means when a police officer checks a CDL driver record with the DMV, it will tell him, in addition to whether a CDL driver has a valid license, the date of the last medical exam. CDL drivers who do not have current medicals have their licenses suspended. CDL drivers and motor carriers were no longer allowed to


use paper medical cards to prove the driver was examined. Instead, a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) needed to be ordered from the State DMV, showing the date of the last medical ex- amination. This is where we were as of a few weeks ago. As of June 23, 2025, medical examiners are now required


to submit new medicals directly to FMCSA’s National Registry (NRII), which is a big computer database of medical data on America’s CDL truck drivers, maintained by the FMCSA. The NRII then distributes this data to the respective State DMV of- fices, who attach the medical data to the correct driver’s re- cord. CDL drivers and motor carriers are no longer required to submit medicals to the DMV, as this will be done by the doctors. Motor carriers are still required to get proof the driv- ers are medically qualified by obtaining an MVR with the new medical expiration date on it. Documents from the doctor


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GOVERNMENT


FMCSA Has Changed the CDL Medical Examination Process. Again.


showing the medical was done will not be accepted. This will be a disaster. In theory,


it sounds great. We go for the exam, we get an MVR at some point soon after that, and we’re good to go, right? Here is what will happen. Thereisnoway allthe doc-


tors know the procedures they are supposed to follow in submitting these medicals. The result will be a significantpercentageofmedicals will not be sent to FMCSA, leaving the CDL driver and his employer making frantic phone calls to the doctor, try- ing to explain his responsibilities to him. Good luck with that. If the medical exam is correct- ly submitted by the doctor, we are


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