Will sleep apnea testing become the new normal? New ways to ruin a livelihood.......

Carriers are very aware of sleep pnea and have been proactive in looking ater the needs of these drivers. Many provide free testing. They are equiping the trucks with proper inverters for these drivers. Just walk into any truck stop and look at some of the severely overweight guys. Odds are they have sleep apnea.

 

Yes it will.

 

I think the major carriers have already implemented standards to their testing.
Sleep apnea is a serious issue. Many people overlook it, or ignore it.
I have known people IN New York who have been involved in accidents where they told the officer they fell asleep at the wheel. NYS then revokes or suspends your license until you have it treated. One gentlemen though he could fool NYS by using a CPAP that does not have compliance monitoring. He did not get his license back until he could PROVE he was fully compliant.
I have to say, having someone in a 4 wheeler falling asleep and causing an accident is one thing. An 18 wheeler?? Yes, the industry is going to have to do something about it.
Yes, it costs money. So does everything else to keep you healthy. There is testing to see if you "may" have it, and only costs a couple of hundred dollars. If you are found to have it, then going to a sleep lab would be in order.
I am aware that drivers are not very thrilled about this. You need to realize that if you DO have it, you are putting lives at risk. Not doing anything about it is selfish.
There are major employers here who will NOT let you come back to work unless you are compliant with your CPAP: Metro North/MTA, 1199 (an INSURANCE carrier; you're non compliant, OK, no job for you), Medicare now requires compliance, LIRR, etc, etc...
I also don't think employers will disqualify you. Evidence has shown that if you are compliant, it alleviates the symptoms. That being said, I am sure that they will have compliance monitoring in place to cover themselves.

 

to me it's all a bunch of crap; where was all this stuff 10+ yrs ago? it's nothing but a money making ordeal

 

http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_apnea.htm




I got into the field in 1999. Before CPAP, you'd have a trach.

 

Medical science advances ya know. 10 years ago it was a medical oddity. Today the research has shown that it is a serious medical problem.

50+ years ago they didn't even know what type II diabetes was - and my father died as a result of it, marked simply as a heart attack. Today it's a serious health concern. You could make the same argument about that - and yet still die of the complications from it.

 

I think it's another mole hill being made into a mountain. If a driver is diagnosed with sleep apnea, they will be able to drive as long as they treat it and stay compliant.

 

For whatever a company's reason, its good they are seeing to this. ABout the only thing I find suspect is not having an independant party conducting the tests and doing the reading of the results.

Instead you have the company thats selling the equiptment doing the tests and reading the results. Thats seems a conflict of interest to me.

I came into the industry having been diagnosed. I honestly dont see how I could be a safe driver without using the machine. Company I work for is way out front on this stuff. I pay nothing out of pocket for supplies. And wouldnt either if the machine I already own needs replaced.

 

A company? It requires a diagnosis and perscription by a licensed medical doctor.