You searched for CDL testing near me, and you found OneCare CDL in Daytona Beach. Now the real question: what actually happens when you show up?
Most "near me" content stops at helping you find a provider. This guide goes further. Whether you're a new CDL driver in Volusia County preparing for your first FMCSA medical exam, a returning driver from the I-95 corridor due for a renewal, or an owner-operator whose employer requires a physical and drug screen on the same visit — this post walks you through the full experience, step by step.
Whether a driver is certified is decided by the examiner at the exam, and this guide covers what the examiner looks at, what the drug screen involves, what to bring, and what you leave with. The goal isn't to tell you whether you'll pass or fail — that's not something any blog post can do.
Two Types of CDL Testing — and Why the Difference Matters
When drivers in Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach, or DeLand search for CDL testing near them, they're often looking for one or both of two distinct services:
- The DOT physical (CDL medical exam) — the FMCSA medical certification exam that produces your medical card.
- The DOT drug screen — the federally mandated 5-panel urine drug test administered under chain-of-custody procedures.
These are separate processes governed by separate federal regulations. The DOT physical is performed under 49 CFR Part 391. The drug screen runs under 49 CFR Part 40. They can be completed on the same visit at OneCare CDL — and many drivers do exactly that — but they are not the same test. For a deeper look at how they relate, see Does a DOT Physical Include a Drug Test?
The CDL Physical: What the Exam Covers
The CDL physical, also called the DOT physical, is the medical examination required by FMCSA to determine whether a driver meets the federal physical qualification standards for operating a commercial motor vehicle. It must be performed by a medical examiner listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners — not a primary care physician, not an urgent care clinic, unless that provider is specifically FMCSA-listed.
Dr. David Jacobsen at OneCare CDL is an FMCSA-certified medical examiner with 40+ years of experience. You can confirm his listing by searching the National Registry at nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov. For more on why the National Registry matters and how to verify any examiner, see How to Verify Your CDL Physical Provider on the FMCSA National Registry.
What the Examiner Reviews
A CDL physical exam at OneCare CDL typically takes 20–30 minutes and covers:
- Medical history: You'll complete a health history form disclosing conditions, surgeries, medications, and symptoms. Accuracy matters — the examiner uses this to guide the evaluation.
- Vision: The standard at 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10) requires distant visual acuity of at least 20/40 in each eye (with or without corrective lenses), at least 20/40 with both eyes together, a field of vision of at least 70 degrees in the horizontal meridian in each eye, and the ability to recognize traffic signal colors. If your worse eye doesn't meet the acuity or field-of-vision standard, the alternative vision standard at 49 CFR 391.44 sets out an eye-specialist evaluation on Form MCSA-5871 and an exam at least annually.
- Hearing: The standard at 49 CFR 391.41(b)(11) requires perceiving a forced whispered voice in the better ear at not less than five feet with or without a hearing aid, or an average hearing loss in the better ear of no more than 40 decibels on an audiometric test.
- Blood pressure and pulse: Blood pressure is measured, and the examiner evaluates the reading. Under the Medical Advisory Criteria, a reading below 140/90 sits outside the staged ranges. A Stage 1 reading of 140–159 systolic and/or 90–99 diastolic provides for certification for one year, with annual exams after that. When a reading falls in the Stage 2 range of 160–179 systolic and/or 100–109 diastolic, the criteria provide a one-time certification of 3 months to allow treatment to begin or adjust. Stage 3 is at or greater than 180 systolic and 110 diastolic; the criteria provide that the individual should not be qualified until the reading is reduced to 140/90 or less and treatment is well tolerated. The examiner sets the certification period.
- Physical examination: The examiner evaluates your cardiovascular and respiratory systems, abdomen, spine, extremities, and neurological function.
- Urinalysis: A urine sample is collected and screened for blood sugar and protein as part of the physical. This is not the DOT drug test — it is a separate clinical screen conducted as part of the medical exam. For more on what this specific test checks, see DOT Physical Urinalysis: What It Checks.
- Medications: Bring a list of every medication you take. The examiner reviews each medication a driver takes, the condition it treats, and whether its side effects could affect safe driving. For a prescribed controlled substance, bring written advice from the prescriber — familiar with your medical history — that the medication won't adversely affect safe driving. A prescribed controlled substance is assessed under 49 CFR 391.41(b)(12); a Schedule I substance cannot be prescribed, and any other prescribed medication is weighed together with the condition it treats.
What You Leave With
When a new CDL driver is certified at the exam, the examiner may issue a same-day medical card. For a returning driver renewing their CDL physical, the same applies: if certified, the medical card can be issued the same day.
In Florida, your result transmits electronically from the National Registry to FLHSMV and posts to your driving record, so you no longer send the paper certificate to the state yourself. FLHSMV suggests carrying the medical card for at least 15 days after the result is submitted so your driver record can update. If you're licensed in another state, check with that state's licensing agency for what currently applies to you.
A driver's next DOT physical is due before the expiration date on the current medical card. The examiner sets that date — at most 24 months after the exam for most drivers. The medical card and your driver's license each carry their own, separate expiration date.
The DOT Drug Screen: What It Involves
The DOT 5-panel drug test is a laboratory-confirmed urine specimen collection conducted under strict chain-of-custody procedures in accordance with 49 CFR Part 40. It is required for CDL drivers at pre-employment, return-to-duty, follow-up, random, post-accident, and reasonable-suspicion situations.
At OneCare CDL, the DOT drug screen is a separate service from the CDL physical, though both can be completed on the same visit. The test uses a split specimen: your sample is divided, sealed, and sent to a certified laboratory. A Medical Review Officer (MRO) reviews all results before they are reported.
If a laboratory result is positive for a medication the driver takes under a legally valid prescription consistent with the Controlled Substances Act, the MRO verifies the result as negative. The MRO may still report a medical qualification or safety concern about that medication, after first giving the prescriber the chance to discuss a change.
For the drug screen, bring:
- A valid government-issued photo ID
- Knowledge of any prescription medications you are currently taking
What to Bring to CDL Testing at OneCare CDL
Preparation is the single best thing you can do before your exam. Here's a practical checklist:
- Valid government-issued photo ID
- Glasses or contact lenses, if you use them for driving (and bring your eyeglass prescription if you have it)
- Your hearing aid, if you use one
- A complete list of all medications, including dosages and the conditions they treat
- For a prescribed controlled substance: written advice from your prescriber that it will not adversely affect safe driving
- CPAP compliance report, if you've been diagnosed with and treated for sleep apnea — sleep apnea is not, on its own, disqualifying; the examiner looks at whether it is diagnosed and treated
- Form MCSA-5870, completed by your treating clinician, if you use insulin to treat diabetes — insulin-treated diabetes is assessed under the qualification standard at 49 CFR 391.46, and the examiner decides at the exam whether the standard is met
- Form MCSA-5871, completed by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist, if your worse eye does not meet the standard acuity or field-of-vision threshold
- Your current medical card, so the examiner can note your existing certification
For the complete preparation checklist, see DOT Physical Checklist: What to Bring and How to Prepare.
Serving CDL Drivers Across Daytona Beach and Volusia County
OneCare CDL serves commercial drivers throughout the Daytona Beach area, including Ormond Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach, DeLand, and the broader I-95 corridor. Whether you're based locally or rolling through on a haul, CDL testing near Daytona Beach means a short drive to an FMCSA-listed examiner with four decades of experience working with commercial drivers.
OneCare CDL offers two CDL physical services tailored to where you are in your driving career:
- CDL Physical Exam (New Driver): A complete FMCSA medical examination for first-time CDL drivers, with same-day medical card issuance if certified.
- CDL Physical Exam (Returning Driver): A renewal DOT physical for drivers renewing an existing CDL medical card.
Both can be combined with a DOT drug screen on the same visit when your employer requires dual testing.
Common Questions About CDL Testing Near Daytona Beach
Does the CDL physical include the drug test? No. The CDL physical (DOT physical) and the DOT drug screen are separate processes under separate federal regulations. They can be completed on the same visit at OneCare CDL, but each is a distinct service. See Does a DOT Physical Include a Drug Test? for the full breakdown.
Does my regular doctor count for CDL testing near me? Only if your doctor is listed on the FMCSA National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. Since 21 May 2014, 49 CFR 391.43(a) has required the DOT medical exam to be performed by an examiner listed on the registry. You can confirm any examiner at nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov.
How long does a CDL physical take? A CDL physical at OneCare CDL typically takes 20–30 minutes.
Can drivers with insulin-treated diabetes be certified? Insulin-treated diabetes is assessed under the qualification standard at 49 CFR 391.46, and the examiner decides at the exam whether the standard is met. Before the exam, your treating clinician completes Form MCSA-5870, and the exam takes place within 45 days of that signature.
How long is the medical card valid? The examiner sets the expiration date, at most 24 months after the exam for most drivers. A driver's next DOT physical is due before the expiration date on their current medical card.
What does the DOT urinalysis in the physical check? The urinalysis performed as part of the CDL physical screens for blood sugar and protein. It is not a drug test. Learn more at DOT Physical Urinalysis: What It Checks.
Book Your CDL Testing at OneCare CDL in Daytona Beach
If you're a CDL driver in the Daytona Beach area looking for a trusted, FMCSA-listed examiner for your CDL physical, DOT drug screen, or both — OneCare CDL is where experience and compliance meet.
Dr. David Jacobsen is an FMCSA-certified medical examiner with 40+ years of experience helping commercial drivers across Volusia County and the I-95 corridor stay certified and on the road. Every exam is conducted with the precision, thoroughness, and plain-English communication that professional drivers deserve.
For more on the full FMCSA certification process, visit DOT Medical Certification for CDL Drivers or explore everything OneCare CDL offers for CDL physicals and DOT drug testing.
OneCare CDL is appointment-based, so book your exam online at /book or call (386) 226-0011 to schedule.
