Truckers applaud vet driver medical exam legislation

The VetOpps bill (H.R. 3739) will allow qualified Veterans Administration doctors to perform medical exams required by the Transportation Department to obtain a commercial driver’s licence.    House Reps. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., and Tim Walz, D-Minn., introduced legislation that promises to make it simpler for military veterans to obtain their commercial truck driver’s licenses.
   The VetOpps bill, H.R. 3739, will allow qualified Veterans Administration doctors to perform medical exams required by the Transportation Department to obtain a CDL. To qualify, veterans must be discharged or released from service honorably.
   “Trucking has always been an attractive career option when veterans return to civilian life and they should not have to deal with a mountain of red tape in order to enter or remain in the industry,” said Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, in a statement praising the legislation.
   Currently, federal regulations allow only medical practitioners that have gone through a certification process to perform DOT physicals. Those practitioners must then be listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME).
   “Though well-intentioned, this fairly new rule finalized in 2014 has created an obstacle for veterans, and even many civilians, seeking or renewing a commercial driver’s license since only a fraction of otherwise qualified physicians have completed the certification process,” OOIDA said.