It's August 2016, and I JUST got my DOT physical done at a Chiropractor's office in Longview, TX. It was not submitted electronically to the Texas DOT. I had to email a PDF of my paperwork. I could have snail mailed or faxed it in.
I prefer Chiropractors. They have more knowledge about White Coat Hypertension than most Nurse Practitioners, They also tend to take the time for your BP to level out, where a PhD has more incentive to put you on medication, than to pass you, and nurse practitioners at clinics don't tend to understand or care about the impact of a bad BP test.
I suggest finding a Chiropractor @ nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov when you need your recertification. You can ask if they submit electronically for you.
If you happen to be on I-80, one of the most convenient DOT registered chiropractors is on the second floor of the Bosselman Travel Center (Pilot Truck Stop) near Grand Island, NE (North, off exit 312. Mon - Sat 8:30am - 7pm). He DOES submit electronically. I got my previous exam there. Tell Cody that Rich says Hi.
lol I had helped him with his Google Maps listing.
Other useful facts:
Don't eat before a physical, ESPECIALLY SALT, and NO CAFFEINE. Digestion increases blood pressure and blood sugar. Taking water pills (Walmart - Sundown Naturals Caffeine Free Water Pills - $2.97) and being a bit dehydrated lowers blood pressure a little) Slow deep breaths, in the nose, out the mouth, also helps. I can drop my BP and pulse as much as 20 points with calm meditation. White Coat Hypertension is a real thing!! At home, my BP is 125/75. pulse 60. In a clinic, with a nurse practitioner, it can jump to 155/95 pulse 85, and drop back down to normal in a couple of minutes. Chiropractors at truck stops understand this!
For long term health though, you really need to walk a mile, 5 times a week at least (you can do this in the time it takes to get loaded / unloaded), preferably every day. Eat only when you're hungry, not when you're bored. A sustenance meal is the size of a saucer, not a dinner plate, but until your stomach shrinks, you won't realize just how little it can take to fill you up. It takes about a week of sensible sized meals for your stomach to shrink to normal size.
Good, inexpensive snacks that don't require refrigeration:
apples (They can last for many weeks. Eat one 1/2 hour before a meal to crave a whole lot less!)
pears (should last a week or more)
bananas (slightly green = 3 or 4 day life span)
unsalted popcorn (find a seasoning you like to put on it, e.g. cinnamon or Parmesan cheese if you have a refrigerator),
unsalted sunflower seeds (read the nutrition list!),
peeled carrots
corn on the cob (can be cooked, 3 minutes in a microwave, but shucking in a truck is a pain!)
potatoes (can also be cooked in a microwave in 10 minutes, season with 1 pat of butter & pepper, NO SALT)
nuts and avocados (but the calories can add up)
Don't skip breakfast! Your body stores food when it starts out empty! Having a refrigerator for milk, a coffee cup (instead of a bowl) of high fiber granola cereal or Grape Nuts & a tsp of honey, keeps me satisfied a lot longer than most other breakfast stuff.
If you gotta be "bad", go with a couple graham crackers, or something sweetened with a little honey, but stay away from the sugar and processed foods!
When you're hungry, drink a lot of water, or green tea, etc. Diet sodas, even without calories, still have a bad effect on metabolism. Find CHEAP alternatives in the POWDERED juice isle (lower calories).
It's good to be bad, and have ONE meal ONCE a week of whatever you want! But ONLY if you've been good all week. It's your reward, and with walking a mile once a day (download a phone app! like CHARITY MILES. Pokemon Go might actually lessen the distance you walk!), you'll find that you need less sleep (I dropped 2 hours per night after 2 weeks of daily exercise! So the "I don't have time" excuse is B.S.!!). You'll have more energy, get full faster. Walk a mile AFTER you eat a sensible meal. The effects after the first consistent week are pretty awesome!
If you can get another driver to walk with you, and you guys can share interesting road stories, the time will go a lot faster!
If you're a smoker, then you know that cold turkey can be painful, and patches and gum are expensive. You might want to look into General Swedish Snus. It's not manufactured by an american tobacco company, so they don't add all the really addictive crap, but it does have enough nicotine to help ween you, but first you gotta quit smoking out of habit, or as a pacifier. Smoke only when you get tense until you're down to a 1/2 pack a day, then get some snus, and don't buy any more cigs, EVER!
I hope that this has been useful and helpful to my fellow road warriors. The healthier you are, the less stressed you are, and the better you feel. I promise!
Formerly 250 lbs., drained and lazy.