Highway health clinics offer quick DOT physicals

Truck drivers work hard to stay on schedule as they rush to pick up and deliver shipments within tight time windows. That often doesn't leave them much time to take care of their own health, however.

One enterprising company might have a solution to the problem. Truck Stop Health Care (TSHC), based in New Port Richey, Fla., has opened a series of health clinics located in highway truck stops. The clinics are staffed with medical examiners who can provide quick physical exams to satisfy the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requirement that commercial driver's license (CDL) holders obtain a medical certificate every two years.

The clinics will offer an efficient way for healthy drivers to renew their certificates, by providing a 20-minute exam for a $100 fee. Patients with more complex medical conditions will be referred to primary care physicians in their home regions, said company CEO Tejinder Dhaliwal, M.D.

By avoiding the expense of providing full-service medical treatment, these centers can stay small enough that TSHC can afford to establish them in multiple locations on major highways across all states.

TSHC plans to open 500 locations in the next six months and 1,500 within two years. Future expansion plans call for converting some of the busiest centers to urgent care/occupational clinics capable of providing emergency medical care. For more information, visit www.truckstopdot.com.