Medical Certification Rule Truck drivers have until Jan.

30 to self-certify their operating status and provide medical examiner s certificates to state driver licensing agencies. Trucking !o"s Tennessee #ant the pu"lic to kno# a"out this information as soon as possi"le in order to ease the mentality of the holiday season for everyone. $n Jan. 30% &0'&% the (ederal Motor Carrier )afety *dministration "egan re+uiring C,- holders to identify if they conduct intrastate or interstate commerce and if they hold nonexcepted or excepted status. Most truckers are classified under non-excepted interstate commerce and must furnish a current medical examiner s certificate to state agencies. Those #ho do not need to have a license rene#al% upgrade or transfer during the t#o-year implementation process still must self-certify and provide the certificate% often called a ,$T card% "y the &0'. deadline.

)tate agencies #ho do not receive self-certification% medical certificates and any re+uired variance from C,--holders "y the compliance deadline must notify drivers that they are no longer medically certified in non-excepted interstate commerce. )tate officials #ill remove all C,- privileges from their licenses. The (MC)* &00/ final rule re+uired C,- holders su"!ect to federal physical +ualification to provide a medical certificate to state agencies. *fter several states reported they could not meet the original &0'& deadline% the (MC)* extended the paper copy re+uirement. 0nterstate C,- holders must keep paper copies of the certificate #ith them and carriers file a paper copy until Jan. 30% &0'..

Considering there s never "een a "etter time to "e a trucker% trucking !o"s Tennessee "elieves this information is pertinent. Trucks moved 13.1 percent of the country s freight in &0'&% according to the ,epartment of Transportation s 2ureau of -a"or )tatistics% carrying 3'0 trillion #orth of the country s 3'3.4 trillion in freight. The num"ers come from the ,$T s recently released Commodity (lo# )urvey% #hich is done roughly every five years. Trucks also carried 10 percent of the tonnage moved in &0'&% hauling / "illion of the ''.1 "illion tons shipped last year. The for-hire trucking industry carried 34.4 trillion in freight 5 ./.6 percent of the total 5 the C() says% #hile private trucks hauled &6.& percent% or 33.. trillion. (ollo#ing the &0'. deadline% the medical paper certificates #ill "e valid the first '6 days after issuance. *fter the '6-day limit% certificates #ill "e recorded on C,- holders driving records and #ill "e considered the valid medical certification. Trucking !o"s Tennessee hope this information #as useful in assessing the medical situation of the trucking and transportation industries.