The Daily Drop: Friday Edition

August 7, 2026

This week’s photo is courtesy of P.W. Gillibrand Co.- CA and TX, USA

Health Focus

Blood Pressure- The Number That Can Cost You Your Card

Here is a stat that should stop you: nearly half of American adults (48 percent) have high blood pressure, and only about one in four of them has it under control. It earns the name 'the silent killer' because it usually has no symptoms. You feel fine right up until it takes a kidney, an eye, or a piece of your heart.

For anyone in this trade who holds a CDL, there is another aspect to consider: your medical card. The DOT physical is graded on your blood pressure. Come in under 140 over 90 and you can get the full two-year card. Land in Stage 1, 140 to 159 over 90 to 99, and it drops to a one-year card. Stage 2, 160 to 179 over 100 to 109, gets you a single three-month card to go get it treated. And at Stage 3, 180 over 110 or higher, you are disqualified until you bring it down. High blood pressure is the most common reason a driver leaves that exam with a short card or none at all.

The good news is that it is manageable, and small things move the needle: less sodium, more movement, less alcohol, better sleep, and taking the medication if you are prescribed it, every day, not just before the physical. A genuinely controlled number is what keeps the longer card.

And you do not need a clinic to keep an eye on it. The machine at the pharmacy, a cheap cuff at home, and your regular checkup all count. Check it when you are rested, not right after coffee, a cigarette, or a climb up the rig. The point is simple: know your number before the DOT examiner tells it to you.

Sources:

•    CDC: High Blood Pressure Facts

•    FMCSA: Driver Certification and the Hypertension Stages

Notes From the Editor

I was talking with a hydrogeologist who told me he reads The Daily Drop every morning. Then he mentioned he had forwarded it to the safety professional at his company and told him, straight out, that he ought to be reading it too. That validation felt great. When somebody thinks enough of what we put out to pass it to their coworkers, that is about the best compliment this newsletter can get.

That is really the whole point of this thing. Every weekday we get to put a little safety in your inbox and share some hard-won knowledge from the trade, and we do not take that chance lightly. Thank you for reading, for forwarding, and for telling us what you want to see. It shapes where we go.

Looking ahead, next week the Safety Focus turns to electrical safety, starting close to the ground with something every crew handles and few of us inspect the way we should: extension cords and power tools. We will get into what to look for and how the inspection and documentation side works, which under MSHA on a mine site is a bigger deal than most crews realize. On the Knowledge Share side, we are digging into bentonite: what it actually is, what it does downhole, how it behaves in water, and where it lets you down, like in high-salt conditions.

Have a good weekend, stay safe, and we will see you Monday.

Jeremy Kuhn
Founder and CEO, WaterWellResource.com

New Vendor Highlights

Companies Added to the Directory This Week-

As part of our commitment to building the water well industry's most comprehensive directory, we continue adding manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, contractors, consultants, and service providers from across the industry. The following companies were recently added to the Water Well Resource Directory.

For more about each of these companies, visit https://waterwellresource.com/directory/

New Job Opportunity Highlights

No new Career Opportunities were added this week.

Keep checking back on Fridays, when we list the newest opportunities. You can also visit WaterWellResource.com to view all current job listings.

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