Good morning. This will be a long-winded question so please bear with me. I work for a company as a concrete truck driver with a West Virginia class B CDL. In January I began passing out and was placed on short-term disability while I found out what was causing the problem. Between January and March 2010 I was in and out of the hospital and my cardiologist discovered that my syncope was happeneing because my heart was basically stopping without warning for as long as 10 seconds at a time. On March 9, 2010, I had a pacemaker implanted to control my dysrhythmia syncope condition, which was diagnosed by a reputable electrophysical cardiologist at the leading heart hospital in the region. I had the very best care by the very best people.

Here is what the FMCSR states: " A person is physically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle if [he/she]:


(b)(4) Has no current clinical diagnosis of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, coronary insufficiency, thrombosis, or any other cardiovascular disease of a variety known to be accompanied by syncope, dyspnea, collapse, or congestive cardiac failure;"

Yet in the same document it states that:

" Coronary artery bypass surgery and pacemaker implantation are remedial procedures and thus not unqualifying."

So what do I believe? My pacemaker by itself won't disqualify me to drive but if it fails I will pass out again no matter where I am (i.e., behind the wheel) and possible die. And what about my clinical diagnosis? Any ideas?

 

 

I do not know half of what others on this site know but I do not believe there is danger of the Pacemaker failing. That is a very very very remote possibility - maybe even a non-existent possibility. Good luck !!

 

Hi
I have pretty much the same condition as you and had my PM implant on March 16th this year. I have been assured by my doctors, etc. that there is next to 0% chance that a pacemaker will fail. All the best to you!
Howard

 

Ok but what about the "clinical diagnosis" part? We're talking about the federal government here and we all know how anal they can be about things...even if it is corrected it's still a clinical diagnosis...

 

I don't believe that having a pacemaker will prevent you from driving a big rig. In fact you are safer on the road now than you were before. Tons safer. If you had an ICD that would be a little different as I understand it. I actually asked the divers license dept. about pacemakers and they said no restrictions. You could send an email, call or have a friend inquire for you and see what your state says. Better to ask the Feds first than find out too late.

Best of luck to you. I know how we are about our jobs... dedicated and also for most of us we love what we do.

PG

 

Hi. I retired 3 years ago, but prior to that one of the jobs I had was working for the local transit agency (Seattle) to develop revised medical standards for our bus drivers. The federal rules, the FMCSR you cite, apply to all commercial drivers who do INTERstate driving. If you drive only locally, and don't cross state lines, then the Federal rules apply to you only if those are the regulations adopted by your State for drivers who drive only locally. In the U.S., each State is allowed by law to adopt the Federal rules for INTER and INTRAstate drivers, or develop tougher rules, but they can't adopt more lenient rules for INTERstate drivers; they can for INTRAstate (local) drivers. So it's important to know what West Virginia's rules are, and whether you drive locally only or interstate.
That said, the Federal rules do not prohibit folks with pacemakers from driving commercial vehicles INTERstate as long as they are no longer symptomatic, meaning no longer fainting or having long spells with no heartbeat. Regardless of what you think of the government, the rules were developed by a panel of private distinguished medical folks who understand that people who need a pacemaker but don't have one, are very dangerous people to have on the road. People who need a pacemaker and have one, have been successfully treated if they are no longer fainting, and therefore are perfectly safe (at least from the standpoint of their hearts -- maybe some are still terrible drivers LOL)
As a previous poster mentions, this is not the same for folks with ICDs, only pacemakers. People with ICDs are not allowed to be interstate commerical drivers because of the risk their ICD will fire while they're driving.
What is your clinical diagnosis, by the way? I've had my pacemaker for 3 years. Take care, happy driving, and don't worry about your pacemaker failing -- your truck (or even your good judgement occasionally LOL) is FAR more likely to fail!
CathrynB

 

It is best to check with your state dol. But when I got my icd the doctor said I was done. You need to find out if you are covered und the Federal motor carrier act. A pacemaker is ok, a icd is not, you will not pass your physcial. So check on it and let us know. Fred in seattle