Title 49
SECTION 398.3
398.3 Qualifications of drivers or operators.
§ 398.3 Qualifications of drivers or operators.(a) Compliance required. Every motor carrier, and its officers, agents, representatives and employees who drive motor vehicles or are responsible for the hiring, supervision, training, assignment or dispatching of drivers shall comply and be conversant with the requirements of this part.
(b) Minimum physical requirements. No person shall drive, nor shall any motor carrier require or permit any person to drive, any motor vehicle unless such person possesses the following minimum qualifications:
(1) No loss of foot, leg, hand or arm,
(2) No mental, nervous, organic, or functional disease, likely to interfere with safe driving.
(3) No loss of fingers, impairment of use of foot, leg, fingers, hand or arm, or other structural defect or limitation, likely to interfere with safe driving.
(4) Eyesight. Visual acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye either without glasses or by correction with glasses; form field of vision in the horizontal meridian shall not be less than a total of 140 degrees; ability to distinguish colors red, green and yellow; drivers requiring correction by glasses shall wear properly prescribed glasses at all times when driving.
(5) Hearing. Hearing shall not be less than 10/20 in the better ear, for conversational tones, without a hearing aid.
(6) Liquor, narcotics and drugs. Shall not be addicted to the use of narcotics or habit forming drugs, or the excessive use of alcoholic beverages or liquors.
(7) Initial and periodic physical examination of drivers. No person shall drive nor shall any motor carrier require or permit any person to drive any motor vehicle unless within the immediately preceding 36 month period such person shall have been physically examined and shall have been certified in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b)(8) of this section by a licensed doctor of medicine or osteopathy as meeting the requirements of this subsection.
(8) Certificate of physical examination. Every motor carrier shall have in its files at its principal place of business for every driver employed or used by it a legible certificate of a licensed doctor of medicine or osteopathy based on a physical examination as required by paragraph (b)(7) of this section or a legible copy thereof, and every driver shall have in his/her possession while driving, such a certificate or a copy thereof covering himself/herself.
(9) Doctor's certificate. The doctor's certificate shall certify as follows:
Doctor's Certificate (Driver of Migrant Workers)This is to certify that I have this day examined _______ in accordance with § 398.3(b) of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and that I find him/her
Qualified under said rules □
Qualified only when wearing glasses □
I have kept on file in my office a completed examination.
(Date) (Place) (Signature of examining doctor) (Address of doctor) Signature of driver Address of driver(c) Minimum age and experience requirements. No person shall drive, nor shall any motor carrier require or permit any person to drive, any motor vehicle unless such person possesses the following minimum qualifications:
(1) Age. Minimum age shall be 21 years.
(2) Driving skill. Experience in driving some type of motor vehicle (including private automobiles) for not less than one year, including experience throughout the four seasons.
(3) Knowledge of regulations. Familiarity with the rules and regulations prescribed in this part pertaining to the driving of motor vehicles.
(4) Knowledge of English. Every driver shall be able to read and speak the English language sufficiently to understand highway traffic signs and signals and directions given in English and to respond to official inquiries.
(5) Driver's permit. Possession of a valid permit qualifying the driver to operate the type of vehicle driven by him/her in the jurisdiction by which the permit is issued.
[33 FR 19765, Dec. 25, 1968, as amended at 40 FR 44557, Sept. 29, 1975; 83 FR 16227, Apr. 16, 2018]