Diabetes
 

Not sure where to post, so it is here. I am not diabetic, just curious what the laws/medical stuff is on CDLs and diabetics.....anyone here help me out? I worked a terrible crash the other night due to a person with a blood sugar in the 40's. Luckily, the driver and her two small children survived. The 40 foot of guard rail and her car didn't survive. It got me wondering, I'm not seeing a lot but the number of diabetic/driver issues appears to be on the increase.

I'm just curious as how diabetes applies to having a CDL.

Thanks and stay safe out there.

From what standpoint are you asking? Are you asking what the requirements for being able to drive with diabetes (the qualifications, what disqualifies a driver) or are you asking how diabetics manage their disease while on the road?

You can have diabetes and hold a CDL providing it is controlled by diet and/or pills. As far as I know you cannot hold a CDL if you use syringes. There has been some discussion in recent years about allowing some who are insulin dependent to drive a commercial vehicle as long as their sugars are fairly level or consistent. I don't recall if they have changed the ruling at this point. I believe that diabetics may also have to get an annual physical rather than the biyearly than is required by most drivers.

Your exactly right GMAN .... my brother was forced to get out the truck when he had to start using syringes( he refused to watch his food intake - ate all the wrong foods ). I too am diabetic but control it with pills and diet and I still have my CDL.

But as for the unfortunate woman .... her's could of been something as simple as dieting and her sugar dropped to lose weight -or -she is hyperglycemic which the sugar can drop VERY quickly. I was hyperglycemic for years - I would start to tremble-get light headed and have to GRAB a pop and candy bar and force it down as fast as possible ... then it would balance back out. Either way it goes ~ it's not good. I'm glad she and her children were ok. But I bet she has found out Now why her sugar dropped.

Thanks for the input.

actually there is an exemption program for insulin dep diabetics .....it takes between 6 to 8 months to get the waiver ....i am required to keep a blood sugar journal that must match my driving log am required to keep my a1c above seven and my blood sugar within a little higher range than i would like to at home between 100 and 400 .....the regs that i am under require a blood sugar check before driving and every 2 to 4 hours while on duty they are all audited every three months by my endo.....and she must also sign off on everything and send it to dc every three months ....i also must recertify annually within the waiver program with eye exams and the normal physical etc etc ....prob more info than you wanted to know

but on a personal note really don;t like the insinuation that becoming insulin dep is diet related as in my case i was rather strict in my diet didn;t drink smoke and was quite physically active but when my pancreas shut down and i stopped producing insulin wasn;t nothing that could be done to stop it just saying ......and there are 1500 drivers with waivers the research has shown a slightly lower accident rate within the waiver community than the general driving population

Undoubtedly informative

Sorry for bumping. What is the current situation? Are commercial drives allowed for insulin addicted ppl?