Drivers still in the waiting room on DOT medicals issue

OTTAWA — Hopes for a reciprocal deal between Canada and the U.S. on medical qualifications for truck drivers will have to simmer for at least another 10 days as transport officials in both countries move the terms of a proposed agreement through bureaucratic channels.

Transport Canada and the U.S. Federal Highway Administration have reached an agreement in principle through an exchange of letters but are still ironing out details such as medical exclusions for some types of insulin and hearing impairment, said Brian Orrbine, senior advisor, road safety programs, at Transport Canada in Ottawa.

“We’re very close,” Orrbine said. “What we have before us will merge the medical fitness requirement with the qualification to hold a commercial driver licence. The U.S. does not have that sort of system, but will recognize the medical qualification of a Canadian driver by virtue of the fact that he or she has a CDL equivalent. A Canadian doctor can conduct an exam for a provincial licence, and that licence will serve as proof of medical fitness for the U.S.”

Orrbine said the “usual bureaucracy of exchanging paper” should be complete by the end of the month. An agreement would be followed by a 90-day period to notify doctors, licensing bureaus, and drivers affected by the decision.

In late September, the Canadian Medical Protective Association, an Ottawa-based group that provides liability insurance for more than 56,000 doctors in Canada, said it would no longer protect members who perform U.S. DOT medical exams, fearing increased risk of liability action in U.S. courts. As a result, many doctors refuse to conduct medical exams for Canadian drivers who operate in the U.S.

Meanwhile, the CMPA has indicated it would rescind its warning to doctors during the 90-day period following a reciprocal agreement between Canada and the U.S.

“We’re considering it,” said CMPA communications director Francoise Parent. “Of course, we want to see the specifics of the deal before we commit to anything.”