EOBR debated over driver harassment
The harassment issue may be the key consideration for the FMCSA, which aims to devise a rule that mandates electronic logging devices.Featured Article
Wake up call
March 1, 2010
| by: Lucinda Coulter
Don’t be caught napping when the feds finalize stringent health regs for sleep apnea and other disorders, many of them common among truckers. Your CDL could hang in the balance.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is expected soon to issue guidelines and later initiate rulemaking that would significantly raise the bar on screening and treatment for obstructive sleep apnea and other health conditions believed to affect driver safety.
Regulation of obstructive sleep apnea, which prevents sleepers from getting enough oxygen and rest, has become an especially contentious issue for FMCSA.
Some drivers worry that the agency will place too much emphasis on screening by single factors, such as obesity or neck size, or that mandated testing will be too costly to drivers in terms of money or downtime.
An estimated 28 percent of drivers suffer from mild to severe sleep apnea, but less than half of those with the disorder are being treated for it, experts say. Nearly 42 percent of drivers are overweight and considered prone to having the disorder.
Fleet safety directors and health specialists say that stricter oversight and required guidelines for screening, diagnosis, testing and monitoring of sleep apnea can’t come soon enough. Some large carriers have been working with specialists to develop their own testing and treatment programs.
Don Lacy, Prime’s safety director, says his company started screening for the condition in 2001 to help at-risk drivers reduce daytime drowsiness. “It’s rampant,” says Lacy, adding that micro-naps cause many truck-related accidents. “People can suffer from obstructive sleep apnea and not know they have it.”
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[...] Click here to see the entire article in Overdrive. [...]
This is certainly an interesting situation. I don’t know which side I back on the matter. I certainly think safety for truck drivers and all others on the road is a very important issue, but I’m somewhat against forcing people to undergo medical treatments. I’ll be interested in the 2012 verdict.
I actually work for an Internet Marketing company and one of our clients happens to be Sleep Apnea equipment. Their domain is not just a clever marketing tool and they do in fact issue and stand by their best price guarantee. If an individual can find a lower advertised price for a product they stock, they will give the individual 110% of the difference. For those suffering from sleep apnea, it may be a good resource.
[...] Originally Posted by bulldogmbm bout 3 months ago i signed on with panther they gave me my physical and drug screen i passed everything except they only gave me a 3 month physical card told me i had to have a sleep apnea test in the next 3 months because my neck was to big then i started looking around for a test and the cheapest one i found was $1600.00 cash out of pocket MY pocket i called truckers for a cause got a recording couldnt even leave a message i sent an app to st christophers fund for truckers and left many many messages but noone ever called me back or let me know anything if anyone knows of any place out there that will help me keep my job by helping me with this test it would be great i have my pickup for sale hoping to sell it so i can pay for it without having to take a loan out my email is pittmannathan@yahoo.com Find another carrier . Neck size or body mass index do not mandate testing under FMCSR . It's at the discretion of the testing physician . "Currently, the medical certification required for commercial driver license holders includes only one question regarding sleep apnea. Examiners are not required to screen for the condition if drivers respond that they are symptom-free." Wake up call | Overdrive – Owner Operators Trucking Magazine [...]
I have been working with some truckers who have sleep apnea. I have seen a natural remedy out there that I have suggested to my trucker friends who were on CPAP. In most cases these truckers who use this right are COMPLETELY off the CPAP all together. It is an all natural remedy. I would suggest any trucker out there to take a look at it…it may be WELL worth your time and get yourself off the cpap all together. Here is the link if you are interested! http://www.natures-rite-remedies.com/site/index.php