by TruckerMike. I just had my DOT physical today as a prerequisite for starting truck driving school and thought I'd write a quick post to let you know what it's like. Most CDL training schools and all trucking companies (by federal law) will require you to pass a DOT physical before you start any truck driving job, and then again every two years. For those of you who want to know what's involved with the DOT physical, here's the scoop. Overall, the physical is kind of a joke.