The Driver's Role

Responsibilities, work schedules, physical and emotional demands, and lifestyles among commercial drivers vary by the type of driving they do. Some of the main types of drivers include the following: turnaround 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 a lack of social support; tight pickup and delivery schedules; irregular work, rest, and eating patterns; adverse road, weather, and traffic conditions, which may cause delays and lead to hurriedly loading or unloading cargo to compensate for 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 also be duties in addition to the driving task for which a driver is responsible and needs to be physically fit. Some of these responsibilities include: 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); inspecting the operating condition of the 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 sometimes complex driving situations, the judgment skills to make quick decisions when necessary, and the manipulative skills to control an oversized steering wheel, shift gears using a manual transmission, and maneuver a vehicle in crowded areas.

§391.41 Physical Qualifications for Drivers

(a) A person shall not drive a commercial motor vehicle unless he is physically qualified to do so and, except as provided in §391.67, has on his person the original or a photographic copy of a medical examiner's certificate that he is physically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle.

(b) A person is physically qualified to drive a motor vehicle if that person:

• Has no loss of a foot, a leg, a hand, or an arm, or has been granted a Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate (formerly Limb Waiver Program), pursuant to §391.49.
• Has no impairment of:
  (i) A hand or finger which interferes with prehension or power grasping; or
  (ii) An arm, foot, or leg which interferes with the ability to perform normal tasks associated with operating a commercial motor vehicle; or any other significant limb defect or limitation which interferes with the ability to perform normal tasks associated with operating a commercial motor vehicle; or has been granted an SPE Certificate pursuant to §391.49.
• Has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of diabetes mellitus currently requiring insulin for control.
• Has no current clinical diagnosis of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, coronary insufficiency, thrombosis, or any other cardiovascular disease of a variety known to be accompanied by syncope, dyspnea, collapse, or congestive cardiac failure.
• Has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of a respiratory dysfunction likely to interfere with his ability to control and drive a commercial motor vehicle safely.
• Has no current clinical diagnosis of high blood pressure likely to interfere with his ability to operate a commercial motor vehicle safely.
• Has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of rheumatic, arthritic, orthopedic, muscular, neuromuscular, or vascular disease which interferes with his ability to control and operate a commercial motor vehicle safely.
• Has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy or any other condition which is likely to cause loss of consciousness or any loss of ability to control a commercial motor vehicle.
• Has no mental, nervous, organic, or functional disease or psychiatric disorder likely to interfere with his ability to drive a commercial motor vehicle safely.
• Has distant visual acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye, a field of vision of at least 70 degrees in the horizontal meridian in each eye, and the ability to recognize the colors of traffic signals and devices showing standard red, green, and amber.
• First perceives a forced whispered voice in the better ear not less than 5 feet with or without the use of a hearing aid, or does not have an average hearing loss greater than 40 decibels at 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, and 2,000 Hz.
• (i) Does not use any drug or substance identified in 21 CFR 1308.11 Schedule I, an amphetamine, a narcotic, or other habit-forming drug.
  (ii) Does not use any non-Schedule I drug or substance except when prescribed by a licensed medical practitioner who has advised the driver that the substance will not adversely affect the driver’s ability to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle.
• Has no current clinical diagnosis of alcoholism.

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