Protecting Yourself in the Era of the National Registry
Compliance expert advises carriers and drivers on new medical exam regulations
By Jennifer Barnett Reed Contributing writer
Over the last few years, changes to
the regulations governing truck drivers’ medical examinations have resulted in a lot of confusion, frustration and, in some cases, drivers having their CDL status downgraded because of computer glitches or missed paperwork. David Saunders, president of
Workforce QA, a Utah-based company that provides third-party administration for drug testing, background checks, medical review and other compliance services for the transportation industry, tried to clear up some of the confu- sion with a presentation at the Great American Truck Show held Aug. 25–27 in Dallas. Saunders spoke about how carriers
can best protect themselves and keep costs to a minimum, as well as steps drivers should take to ensure their CDL status is not affected. The National Registry of Certified
Medical Examiners was set up to ensure that all health care providers who conduct physicals on commercial truck drivers are trained, tested and certified on the physical qualification standards established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The National Registry System includes a website where medical examiners can register, find training and testing and submit driver medical exam forms. Each registered and certified ME is assigned a national registry ID number. Drivers
ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 5 2015
can also use the website to find a certi- fied ME. As of September, there were more than 43,000 certified medical examiners in the United States. In turn, the national registry allows
and requires medical examiners to sub- mit the results of all driver physicals they conduct each month, while carri- ers must verify that drivers were issued medical certifications only by MEs on the National Registry.
CATCHING UP TO THE RULE The National Registry II, created
in the wake of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act of 2012, is designed to allow electronic
transfer of medical exam card informa- tion from the national registry to state driver licensing agencies. Beginning in May 2014, all drivers
were required to be examined by a certi- fied medical examiner to replace their current medical exam cards as those cards expired. Under the new requirements, driv-
ers have to self-certify with their state’s Department of Motor Vehicles as inter- state or intrastate drivers when they obtain or renew their CDL, and submit a copy of their medical exam certifi- cate from a certified medical examiner. Drivers who don’t submit the required
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