The U.S. government should improve its system for those seeking to resolve conflicts involving their medical certifications that are required to get a commercial drivers license, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) said on Wednesday.
OOIDA submitted its concerns to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) during a public comments period on the Resolution of Medical Conflict provision.
The provision is the way drivers and motor carriers can request the FMCSA make a final decision to resolve conflicting medical evaluations when either party does not accept the decision of a medical specialist.
Disputes happen when two medical examiners disagree, generally the physician for the driver and the physician for the motor carrier.
“This program is supposed to resolve medical conflicts but it simply doesn’t work,” Lewie Pugh, OOIDA vice president, said. “Rather than just complaining about it, we continue to provide FMCSA with reasonable solutions to make the program more timely and effective.”
Currently, when there is a dispute, a copy of the medical report, including results of all medical testing and the opinion of an impartial medical specialist, is submitted.
When there is a dispute, drivers are considered disqualified until a determination is made.
The association, which represents professional and small-business truckers, said decisions on conflicts should be resolved within 90 days as opposed to an unlimited review period currently in place.