$79 Easy DOT Physical Exam Grand Junction Colorado

DOT Physical Instructions

We want to make your DOT Exam a smooth, seamless process and we want you to pass your exam.

We are a separate business located within the COOR Wellness building between Patterson and Orchard Ave on the east side of the 12th Street.

To Do List

  1. Look for a separate email &/or text message to complete the health history. This necessary document you complete for every DOT exam (even if you have done one before). If you cannot do it through your phone or computer, you can call our remote team and they can ask you the questions over the phone (970-712-8193).
  2. Complete a separate brief electronic form called your Privacy Policy. Click HERE to complete that information. You will receive another email to sign this form electronically from an email company called Sign Request (similar to Docusign).
  3. Reply to this email if you have a medical condition that may affect your DOT Medical Card and you need guidance on what to bring to improve your chances of passing.
  4. Shower & clean your ears out.
  5. Arrive hydrated with water so you can provide a urine sample (it is not a drug test, but marijuana is a disqualifying substance even though it is legal to use in Colorado)
  6. Bring medications or a list of medications with your dosage and reason for taking it
    • If you are taking prescription medications CLICK HERE to download the new DOT Medication Form for your prescribing provider to complete before you arrive. While this isn’t 100% necessary, having it completed and to us before your arrival significantly increases your chances of passing.
  7. If you use a CPAP for Sleep Apnea, contact the company who gave you the CPAP machine to print your compliance log.

Don’t List

  • Do not use tobacco or caffeine for 2 hours before your exam
  • Do not tell us you were not aware marijuana is disqualifying

Call us if you have any questions at 970-712-8193

Pre-Exam Checklists

If you have one of the conditions below, please click the link and print the checklist on what to bring to prepare for your exam:

High Blood Pressure – this is the most common reason people get less than a 2 year card. CLICK HERE to learn how to lower your BP naturally and come prepared to pass.

Diabetes – if you use Insulin for Diabetes, you will want to read the checklist by CLICKING HERE and have your doctor complete this necessary form – CLICK HERE for the new required form for Insulin treated Diabetes. For diabetics who do not use insulin, please read the checklist and bring those items.

Heart Attack – Myocardial Infarction – there are specific things that you can bring that will improve the chances of you passing after you’ve had a heart attack CLICK HERE FOR THE CHECKLIST

Know Your Health

The better you know how your medical conditions affect your certification length, the more likely you will pass your exam. Just because you pay for your exam does not mean you will pass. You want to research your conditions before you arrive.

There are a few places you can do this.
CLICK HERE to purchase the #1 authority on the DOT Physical. This is the text book that guides medical examiners and their decision making. If you have a medical condition, you will want to look it up in this book.

CLICK HERE to research your medical conditions in the 2014 Medical Handbook issued by the FMCSA.

CLICK HERE to research your medical conditions in the new Medical Handbook being drafted by the FMCSA.

If you’re interested in quitting smoking, check out the best way by clicking HERE

How to Apply for a Refund When You Admit to Marijuana Use at Your DOT Physical

Marijuana and CBD laws are creating issues for both commercial drivers and DOT Medical Examiners. States are being more forgiving on marijuana laws and drivers are being more truthful at their DOT Physicals. Drivers are receiving mixed messages on marijuana use. Furthermore, in Colorado where marijuana use is prevalent, this is creating significant issues. This article will show drivers who present to First Aid Occupational Health in Grand Junction how they can request a refund for their DOT physical.

Federal Test

The DOT Medical exam is a federal test and is becoming more regulated. The federal government is giving DOT Medical examiners more specific guidelines on who can pass and who cannot. Staying current on changes is necessary for both the driver and the clinic.

Colorado Law

While medical and recreational use of marijuana is legal in Colorado, it creates trouble for Colorado commercial drivers who enjoy or need marijuana for their wellness. Despite not having issues or opinions regarding marijuana use, we are obligated to follow FMCSA guidelines. From our viewpoint, we see how this creates challenges for Colorado commercial drivers. The last thing we want to do is start an exam and not issue a DOT or CDL Medical Card for a driver. Especially when it affects their livelihood.

Double Warning

Many of our drivers schedule and pay for their DOT Medical Exam online. They receive a double warning on our website that marijuana is disqualifying plus in our email with instructions for your DOT CDL Physical Exam in Grand Junction it warns drivers there too. We have nothing against marijuana. But our number one responsibility is keeping the roadways safe. When that is demonstrated and the FMCSA approves of it, we’ll adjust our policies.

DOT Physical Grand Junction Marijuana

Teach Us

We are always looking for new information and medical evidence as it relates to the DOT Medical Exam. When you find news from the FMCSA that says marijuana is safe, please send it to us.

Currently, we’re using these resources to make our policies:

Ask Us

You are always welcome to interview us before you scheduling. We’re only here to help people pass. Not to harm their livelihoods. But certifying drivers who use marijuana is a risk to our livelihoods and readers need to respect that.

Refund Request

To request a refund for your DOT Exam after learning marijuana disqualifies you please click THIS LINK to request a refund.

 

 

Improving Blood Pressure with Beets

High blood pressure is the primary reason commercial drivers have trouble that their DOT Physical. They are nervous. They come in not sure what kind of mood the doctor or nurse are in. And because the DOT Medical Exam affects a driver’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) there are ramifications for the physical. Drivers need to prepare to have low blood pressure so they will pass their exam and not have to have their physical time and time again. More and more drivers are using beets and beet related supplements. But is this the best solution? Read on to learn the truth.

Multiple Benefits

Beyond improving your blood pressure, beets show promise in how you think too. This is important for many reasons.

One of the biggest reasons drivers have hypertension is because of stress. Their profession involves dealing with other motorists, demanding dispatchers and clients. Driver need quick thinking and beets can actually improve a driver’s ability to think.

beets dot physicalBeet Truths

While we are not a big fan of supplements, often they are worth a try. But they need to be proven through research and beets for high blood pressure are well researched and proven.

When you choose to include beets into your wellness program there are a couple things you must do.

  1. Speak with your physician before starting a program especially if you are on prescription medications
  2. Plan for consistency
  3. Figure out how you are going to ‘test’ beets

You should always purchase a two to three month supply and figure out how you are going to regularly see if the money is worth it. Find an easy and accurate way of testing your blood pressure in a consistent location at a consistent time of day.

Best Options

Finding a brand at the right price can take a little work. Here, we’ll offer you three choices and you can find the product that suits your budget.

  1. Here is our #1 choice for people where money isn’t an option. SuperBeets aren’t the most affordable, but you get you pay for. CLICK HERE for more information on SuperBeets.
  2. For a middle of the road option CLICK HERE
  3. Horbaach is an affordable brand that make good products

Best Free Options

Some people want the most affordable ways to lower blood pressure. There is nothing better than…walking. Yes. Simply walking is the best way to lower blood pressure naturally.

The next best free option is to avoid processed and packaged foods. These are always high in salt. Packaged and fast food is usually the worst thing you can do.

Need More Help?

DOT Physical CDL Exam Grand Junction Colorado

If you try these or have tried these and you are not making progress, please reach out. There are additional ways to lower blood pressure beyond supplementing with beets or walking.

For instance, we offer a 12 month nutrition program specifically for commercial drivers. This is a remote program that helps drivers make one better choice at a time and often they lose weight. Our last commercial driver lost 40 pounds in 12 months. Call 970-712-8193 to schedule a free 10 minute consultation. And you get 50% when you sign up within two weeks of your last DOT Physical.

To schedule the most affordable DOT or CDL Physical Medical Exam in Grand Junction, CLICK HERE

Sleep Apnea, Your Health, The Effect on Your Profession

The lifestyle of a truck driver is not for everyone and sleep apnea can easily creep in to further complicate things.  The hours can be irregular and long. Drivers sit for extended periods of time with little physical activity.  Many of them have a diet high in sodium and fat thanks to the convenience of fast food.  While this lifestyle isn’t glamorous, it is rewarding and doesn’t have to be detrimental to the drivers’ health with the proper diet, exercise, sleep, and routine check-ups. 

Explaining Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is extremely common, however, growing obesity rates in the truck driving industry, have left drivers more exposed to acquiring it.   OSA occurs when a person’s breathing becomes obstructed during sleep due to throat muscles that relax intermittently, meaning they stop breathing.  This results in a person not reaching the full restorative REM sleep cycle.

What Does This Mean for Truck Drivers

According to the Federal Motor Safety Administration (FMCSA} reports show that over 28% of truck drivers have sleep apnea.  Those with mild sleep apnea are still qualified for truck driving jobs.  However, they must see a medical examiner to determine their fitness to operate a motor vehicle.

Disrupted sleep can decrease a truck driver’s cognitive function and cause increased daytime sleepiness.  This leads to more truck driving accidents.  While driving any vehicle requires an alert driver, truck drivers are typically going down the highway at the tune of 50 – 80 thousand pounds.  Reaction time is key and lessened if the driver is groggy.

Disrupted sleep can decrease a truck driver’s cognitive function and cause increased daytime sleepiness.  This leads to more truck driving accidents.  While driving any vehicle requires an alert driver, truck drivers are typically going down the highway at the tune of 50 – 80 thousand pounds.  Reaction time is key and lessened if the driver is groggy.

Sleepiness, dull response time, and lack of concentration are all side effects of sleep apnea.  A crash can occur in the blink of an eye.  Current times have proven that the country depends on truck drivers to deliver goods that we use in every aspect of our lives.  Sleep apnea can hinder the driver’s ability to function safely. 

Drivers can still drive commercial vehicles if they have been diagnosed with sleep apnea as long as they are compliant with their treatment.  This means they may only be granted a year on their Medical Examiner’s Certificate (MEC).  However, if they are not compliant, they could be denied the MEC and lose their CDL.  Bring your CPAP compliance log to all future DOT physicals. Safety is first and foremost.

DOT Physical Grand Junction

Risk Factors for Sleep Apnea

Several risk factors can increase the development of sleep apnea.  This condition does not fully discriminate.  This condition can affect both men and women, though men are at a greater risk.  While sleep apnea can occur in those of average weight, those who are obese are four-times more likely to incur it.

Smoking can increase a person’s chances of this condition because of the possible fluid retention and inflammation often brought on by cigarette smoke.

Alcohol and pain medications can relax the muscle tissue in the throat, also elevating the risk of sleep apnea.

Sitting in a truck all day, easily contributes to poor posture and results in alignment issues with the cervical spine.  This mis-alignement is another contributing factor.

Those with a larger neck are more prone to sleep apnea.

Lastly, this condition can also run in some families.

Recognizing the Symptoms

The main symptom of sleep apnea is excessive daytime sleepiness.  Additional symptoms of sleep apnea include the following:

  • The size of the neck
  • Restless Sleep
  • Loud snoring with brief periods of silence followed by gasps
  • Falling asleep during the day
  • Morning headaches
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Irritability, mood or behavior changes
  • Forgetfulness
  • Anxiety and depression

Should you be experiencing three or more of these symptoms, it would be wise of you to consult a physician.

Sleep Apnea DOT Physical

What if it Goes Untreated

There are further risks involved if sleep apnea gets ignored.  Possible risks include:

  • Chronic fatigue
  • Cardiac risk
  • Hypertension
  • Irritability
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Depression
  • May lose your CDL

Take Action

Now that you better understand sleep apnea, you can become proactive in addressing the issues that can contribute to this condition; sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and healthier choices.  We encourage you to check out our Trucker Transformation program at www.truckertransformation.com. We developed this program and believe it is the best method to support truck drivers prior to them actually incurring additional health issues. 

Or, if you want to join a group of drivers supporting each other on their weight loss journey, click HERE to join our free Trucker Transformation weight loss group.

However, if you have already been diagnosed, the most common treatment for sleep apnea is the continuous positive airway pressure machine.  A CPAP machine is a device worn during sleep that increases the air pressure in the throat so the airway doesn’t collapse when breathing in, allowing the deep restorative sleep needed.  Be compliant with your treatment and you will be able to continue your profession.

Keep yourself safe as well as others on the road and see your doctor if you feel you have undiagnosed sleep apnea or the symptoms.

For More Information

Click HERE to hear more about OSA from the FMCSA.

When you need a DOT or CDL Physical in Grand Junction or Fruita Colorado, you can schedule online by clicking HERE

First Aid Occupational Health provides the most affordable and smoothest DOT experience in Grand Junction. You can call for more information at 970-712-8193.

Click HERE to Schedule a DOT Physical in Grand Junction

Trucker Transformation

3 Exercises For Truck Drivers To Prevent Back Pain

Grand Junction DOT ExamBack and neck pain are extremely common issues for truck drivers to experience. In this article I’m going to show you 3 exercises for truck drivers to prevent back and neck pain. Back and neck pain are so common because the amount of hours that drivers have to spend seated in their truck as well as the constant vibration from the road. This extended time spent in one position really wears on the body. Our bodies are meant to be active and to move around frequently. This just is not possible for most truck drivers to do. When our bodies stay in one position for too long our muscles and joints adapt to this. Muscles that are in an elongated position want to stay that way, while the muscles in the shortened position want to stay shortened. Furthermore the joints become used to not moving as well. All of this results in the body becoming more prone to becoming injured when outside forces, that the body is not prepared for, are applied. These outside forces can be as simple as just walking or they could be more complex like having to lift heavy objects. As I already talked about the best way to prevent this and help the body avoid injury is to stay mobile. When you can’t stay mobile and active because of your job then you need to implement a self care routine.

The exercises that I am going to show you are all self-mobilization exercises. They are similar to what you might experience when going to a chiropractor. The goal with these exercises is to keep the joints moving throughout their normal range of motion and keep the muscles surrounding the joints loose. This can help to keep the body more mobile and ready to adapt to the tasks that it is asked to perform. The great thing about these movements is they can be performed almost anywhere. That likely includes inside a truck cabin.

You should seek clearance before performing these maneuvers on your own. As long as you are careful with them the risks are minimal, but don’t over do the amount of rotation and if there’s intense, sharp, or radiating pain that may be an indication to stop.

Neck Self-Mobilization for Truck Drivers

To perform this maneuver grab yourself a normal bath towel. Fold it up so that it stays long but becomes less wide. Then just sling the towel over your neck.  Next pick a direction to go in. I’ll start to the right. First grab the towel. Right hand grabs the left side of the towel and left hand grabs the right side. Right hand should be over the left. Now rotate your neck as far as it will comfortably go to the right side. Then pull down on the towel using your left hand . Use your right hand to pull the other side of the towel across the side of your neck/head. Gently use the right hand to increase the amount of rotation you get to the right side. Hold for 10 seconds. Gently let off this position and return to your normally rotated position. Now keep the towel taught but gently rotate your head against the towel. Don’t let the towel or your neck move. Hold this for 10 seconds. Repeat this sequence 3-5 times. Then do it to the left as well. It may not be exactly the same as an adjustment but the end results can be similar. Sometimes your neck will even crack while doing this maneuver.

I generally recommend my patients do this exercise at least once per day. Its best to seek clearance before performing this on your own.

Midback Self-Mobilization For Truck Drivers

To perform a midback self-mobilization maneuver grab your object. Place it on a firm surface that you can lay on. Then simply lay on top of the object. Usually you want the object just below your shoulder blades. Then lean back and extend your arms. Hold this position for 30 seconds at a time. Repeat 3-5 times.

 

For my mid back pain patients I recommend they  do this exercise at least once per day. Its best to seek clearance before performing this on your own.

Low back Self-Mobilization For Truck Drivers

To perform this maneuver find yourself a surface that you are able to lay at the edge of. A bed is usually the best place to perform this maneuver but it can be performed on the ground as well. Lay on your right side with the left side up. Bend your left leg while keeping your right leg straight. Let the left knee start to hang down over the edge. This is where you can use a dowel rod if you have one. Place it into that crevice between your top and bottom leg. Now with your torso lean back so your left shoulder becomes closer to the surface that you are laying on. Place your left hand on the area that is tight in your low back and the right hand on either your knee or the dowel rod. Gently push forward with the left hand and downward with the right hand until you feel a decent stretch through the low back. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Gently let off this position and return to your normally rotated position.Now if you are using a dowel keep the pressure on the dowel somewhat taught. While you try and rotate your hips to the left side. Be very gentle with this rotation. Your lower body shouldn’t move, it is just pushing against the dowel. This is difficult to perform without the dowel and can be skipped. Hold that contraction for 10 seconds. Repeat this sequence 3-5 times. Then do it on the other side as well.

Implementing These Exercises for Truck Drivers

Implementation is the most important part of the process. Try to incorporate these exercises into your daily work routine. Just once a day whenever you make a stop to fuel up or load up would be a good time to just take an extra few minutes run through these exercises and help your body to remain pain free so you can continue your driving.

–  This article is generously provided by guest writer for the First Aid Occupational Health blog Dr. Alex Tauberg. Dr. Tauberg is the owBack Painer of Tauberg Chiropractic & Rehabilitation and performs CDL DOT Physical Exams in Pittsburgh.

Back Pain for Truck Driver

If you’re in Grand Junction Colorado and need a DOT Physical, you can schedule by clicking HERE

Company Info

First Aid Occupational Health
2140 N 12th
Grand Junction, CO 81501

tel. (970) 712-8193

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