My dream is to work in train service, but my vision is 20/50 in one eye and 20/60 in another. Are there exemptions available, like in trucking?
Apparently glasses are okay so long as your vision is correctable to 20/40.
You need 20/40 or better both eyes in trucking.
If you cannot pass the eye chart test at 20 feet with corrected vision, forget trucking.
However, some states will allow you one eye for driving a passenger car as long you have a set field of vision.
It has to be this way in trucking. Trying to aim a trailer corner that is 60 feet away via a viberating mirror in a darkened grocery dock (While exhausted and up 3 days and 2000 miles) with less than 2 inches cleareance from trucks on both sides… well… you gotta have the eyes for it.
Im roughly 20/100 corrected in one eye and way past trucking standards.
You can wear glasses, but I strongly advice you to wear safety rated glasses because some industrys will not even consider entry for you without safety glasses.
While yer at it, buy two glasses. One to wear and one to spare. Trust me, that pallet will collaspe on you and bust your lenses at some point in trucking.
However all is not lost. My other eye is about 20/5 corrected or nearly so. I take joy in reading the copyright/trademark legalese at the bottom of those eyecharts. =)
Is there any hope if that’s what I get with glasses?
I was just using trucking as an example because I heard you could get exemptions.
You need no worse then 20/40 corrected vision. Glasses and contacts are acceptable.
Nick
So a man gets stopped by a police officer for some minor infraction – lets say making a “rolling” stop at a stop sign. Officer comes up and asks for the man’s license. “Sir, your license says that you need corrective vision and I don’t see your eye glasses, why, I don’t think you even saw that stop sign.” “But Officer, I’ve got contacts.” “Look Bud, I don’t care who your friends in high places happen to be, the law says you have to wear glasses!”
Precisely.
Unless the license indicates contact lenses. I never thought about it until now since I cannot use Contacts and still consider them a beauty item and not a necessity.
My CDL is restricted to corrective lens only… “Glasses” I can always be free to argue the case for contacts before the judge from jail in some hick town far from home because the poleece had a problem with no glasses.
Long ago once upon a time you could get an Exemption. Such a act usually involves getting a Doctor who is expert (Leave off the nitpicking… for a moment) in the Exemtion you are seeking. If you can get this doctor to put his or her name, Medical License number and swear to DOT that you are safe with this condition requiring an exemption… so be it.
I can be one legged, blind in one eye, deaf and wrestling with medicines spilling around my feet (uhh… one FOOT and a peg leg) and still drive a 18 wheeler provided that I am:
1- Not for HIRE.
2- It is a PRIVATE vehicle with facilities for bathroom, bedroom etc.
Be a waste of money that.
I have encountered farm boys less than 10 years aged driving on the interstate with trucks for Carnival or Farm service. They have done quite well even if they display body posture of someone who is absolutely petrified of the upgrade and is having a ball sitting on a stack of phone books trying to keep the horses on the loaded trailer.
In those days it was legal for them boys to drive such big heavy trucks on the road. I dont know about today. The best of those times was easing the road pain with a few bottles of some cold brew. Back in those days before CDL’s there wasnt too much oversight. Today you cannot have anything that has alcohol like Listerine Mouthwash or Hand sanitizer inside the cab of a working 18 wheeler.