Do You Need a Pre-Employment Physical? A Guide for Non-DOT Employers

What a Pre-Employment Physical Covers

A general pre-employment physical confirms a new hire is medically fit to perform the essential functions of the role they're being hired for. It typically includes a health history review, vital signs, vision and hearing screening, and a general physical exam — scoped to the physical demands of the job description you provide.

Who Should Require One

You don't need to be a DOT-regulated employer to benefit from pre-employment physicals. Industries that commonly require them include construction, warehousing and logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, and any role involving physical labor, heavy lifting, or equipment operation. If a new hire's job has real physical demands, a fitness-for-duty exam reduces the risk of an early workplace injury and the associated workers' comp exposure.

Job Description Matters

The more specific your job description, the more useful the exam. Provide details on lifting requirements, repetitive motion, exposure to heat/cold, or any other physical demand specific to the role — the examining provider uses this to make an accurate fitness determination, not a generic pass/fail.

How It Fits Into Onboarding

Most employers schedule the physical after extending a conditional offer, before the employee's start date. Turnaround is typically same-day at any of our nationwide clinic locations, so it rarely delays a start date.

Combine With Other Onboarding Screening

Many employers bundle the physical with a drug screen and any required vaccinations (Hepatitis B, TB testing) or titer testing in the same visit, so new hires complete all onboarding health requirements in a single appointment.

Getting Started

Create a free employer account to order pre-employment physicals for your team — no long-term contract, and no DOT requirement.