Medical Card in Va
 

So as some know, I'm out of work on workers comp still. My medical card is due for renewal on April 22nd. I hit up our DMV to ask them about not being able to renew it potentially in time before the due date. So, for any Virginia driver, here was their response: You have 30 days after the due date to have it renewed and filed with them. After 30 days they will downgrade your license to a regular license. You have 6 months to get your medical card renewed after the due date before they completely remove your CDL. Meaning, you will have to go thru all the testing again to get your CDL back after 6 months.

I hope you make the cutoff!

I may go and try to pass it in about 2 weeks. Knee is just too darn slow to recover. Met my straight leg and bent leg marks but still working on strength and endurance which aren't there still without pain and swelling. I don't remember the doc doing much previously other than checking my reaction, BUT, unless I lie and say I haven't had surgery, he may check differently on the knee.

If you are down for a while you may check in to what in Oklahoma as a "K" restriction (It's not a "K" in VA) and I am looking for the exact thing you need), But for drivers who want to maintain their CDL while they are not driving, they can get a restriction placed on their CDL that allows them to not be downgraded while they don't have a medical card to match with their CDL, there are some fees (of course) but then when you do get a physical you go into the DMV and have them certify your medical card and then remove the restriction. I am not sure if that is only an OK thing or not, but it beats paying for a physical before you can comfortably pass one.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...and10/0268.jpg

(step-clunk...step-clunk...step-clunk....leans in)
(stinks of ointments)

Garrrh me Bucko... best straight legs are made of Hickory, (knock-knock) ...sez aye, Arrrrh.

Fozzy, they did say something about my DL8 form needing to be updated if I'm not driving right now............I'm going to look into that tomorrow after PT.

I'm starting to worry that my current career may be over, just feel like I've reached my peak. If that is the case, I'd be seriously limited on driving jobs anyways. Might be office work permanently for me which would mean this becomes a non issue. But, I figured I'd put the info I got on here for future reference to others licensed in VA.

You might can also talk the doc into a 6 month health card and write you a doctors note that you have to drive an automatic.


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Well, it's not that I can't drive a manual, I can. It's my right knee which has enough strength to use the brake or gas pedal so it's not a clutch problem. It's the climbing up into the cab or back down that could be the problem which is a big problem to have!

Looked at the DL8 form, that's a waste. I'm not exempt so I have no reason to update it.

Either way get well


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:D working hard on it, knee just doesn't seem to be responding anymore........I know I'm a month behind on recovery due to the amount of damage that was found and repaired but the leaps and bounds I was making has slowed to a molasses crawl! Just walking is still a challenge and painful if I get in too much of a hurry.

I know from sprains the knees or ankles take a long time to heal. I hope you don't gain any extra weight, but you maybe already have for as long as you've been laid up.
Any time I put on an extra 10 pounds, I feel more pain in my joints, and off goes the feed bag again. :mad: When you are fairly inactive, it is so easy to add 10 pounds.

Right now, I added about 15 lbs....okay-okay 20... over the winter, but I hope that will go easy enough with my Spring yard & house cleaning.
Fortunately it's still snowing here, so I don't have to punish myself, just yet. :)

I was actually concerned about that happening. Thing is, I'm actually eating less than I ever had at meal time. Mainly because my body doesn't need all the extra fuel like it used to now. I'm not burning thru it as quickly. I could easily knock out 6 waffles then be hungry halfway to lunch time. Dinner time, can barely eat a burger and a handful of chips for example.

Weather certainly hasn't helped feel good! Cold and rainy.........:mad:

Well that changed........got a letter from DMV stating that was I was originally told was incorrect. So VA DMV workers don't have any idea what is correct......figures! The letter states I have 30 days before it's yanked completely, not 6 months.

I am sorry the knee isn't healing as quickly as you need. You might check with whomever does your physicals and ask them if they think you could pass or just go through the process of getting your physical and see what happens. By going through the process you might be able to get a temporary reprieve until your knee heals completely. I think it would be worth the effort in order to maintain your CDL. By the way, there is a new medical form starting this year. I think the only think I had to do is bend to touch my knees. At one time I believe that I had to squat, too.

I got the all clear from the doc today to resume most of my normal activity. Can do some light running and very small, minor jumping and slowly increase those. Still have some pain and swelling if I'm on it too long, but in his words, tough up! No problem Doc! That's what I'm used to doing! Now I have to wait for the company insurance to approve my return, so until that happens.........I will hold off as long as possible to do the renewal.

Just crazy that people who should have the answers, DMV, don't have them or having contradicting answers.

Hang in there. It sounds like things are going to work out.

Since we're on the topic of medical cards... I'm 62, live in Pa and retired from trucking since 2012. In 2014 I went and got my DOT physical and passed. Cost $95. That's OK, I just wanted to keep my CDL alive in case I wanted to drive a truck again.

2016 rolls around and PennDot sends me the usual letter warning about my medical card expiring soon and that I need to pass the DOT physical and fax in my new medical card. Fine. I try to pass the physical but my white coat syndrome has my blood pressure sky high, 178 over 97. They retake it twice, and after trying to relax, I finally get it down to some level that allows me a one year card. But my vision has worsened, and I fail due to my right eye being 20/50. Has to be 20/40 or better.

On the way out of the medical office, they hand me a form that I can fill out and turn in to PennDot that will allow me to keep my cdl alive even though I do not have a valid medical card, then I can come back after I get glasses, and retake the vision test and hopefully pass.

OK, now the good part. This form they gave me is the self-certification form. PennDot mentioned it in their letter. I go back and reread the letter. The letter says I need to pass the DOT physical test in order to maintain my cdl. Then farther down in the letter, it says something about drivers who do not need the medical card (which obviously isn't me since they just told me I need a medical card to keep my cdl). This is where they talk about the self-certification form. OK, getting to the point, after making some calls, it turns out I could have just filled out the self-certification form for free and never bothered paying $95 and getting all traumatized by failing the physical, and now having a failed physical on my record. Why couldn't PennDot just say that in their letter??? Man, that's annoying!

OK, thanks for listening to my self-righteous rant.

The moral of the story is: in Pa, if you no longer drive a big truck, you can keep your CDL without passing the physical, simply by filling out this form (do not believe the PennDot letter). Later, if you want to drive a truck again, you would just go get your DOT physical, and submit a copy to PennDOT.

I filled out the self certification form and hand delivered it to a PennDot office, and immediately got a letter stating that my CDL will remain intact. So easy. So quick. So painless. No high blood pressure. No $95 wasted. Penn DOT really needs to learn how to use the english language to communicate. Or maybe I just need to learn how to translate government-speak into english, who knows.