Sleep Apnea

Can't your own doctor do the dot physical? Never mind just noticed it was company ordered.

 

Companies like Schneider, Prime or Marten will let you pay for a sleep study in weekly payroll decuctions if that's the way you want to go.

The fact that your own doctor does not think you need a sleep study doesn't matter. The guidelines to DOT medical examiners are any driver with a BMI over 35 or having a whole list of other symptoms or medical conditions should have a sleep study. FMCSA medical examinations are getting stricter.

Right now (4/2013) the results of the 90 day conditional DOT card pending a sleep study are not sent to your state DMV. BUT soon (2014) when the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners rule takes effect the results of that DOT medical will be reported to FMCSA and would be available to any DOT medical examiner that you go to in the future.

The trick bag you are in is that you have been told you need a sleep study and got a 90 day conditional card pending a sleep study. Even though you think they were a quack if you fail to tell ANY future DOT medical examiner that you were given a 90 day card and did not get a sleep study you would have "witheld information pertinent to the medical examination". That's a Class I federal felony.. go not pass go.. go directly to jail if you EVER have a major accident and it comes out... and it will... the plaintiff's lawyers will subpeona everything.

Sorry but the "quack" did what they were supposed to do. If you actually have sleep apnea.. (and I do... been driving OTR for 11 years now with it) you have no business being behind the wheel of a truck until you are getting treated. I shudder to think back to what I was like before I was diagnosed back in 2002.

Just like there are quack DOT examiners there are quack sleep study vendors popping up selling to trucking and drivers as the news of the FMCSA guidance on sleep apnea gets around among sleep medicine folks.

If you are looking for a sleep study... ask them How will I plug in my CPAP in the truck? Is there any difference between the kind of CPAP I should use if I decide to team drive? Is there a difference in the type of CPAP I should use if I'm in a slip seating operation?

If they don't know keep looking. They don't know squat about trucking and are just going to rip you off on an expensive sleep lab study instead of doing a less expensive home or portable study.

 

Just finished sleep study my.doc ordered said had mild apnea so I will be on cpap ok with me but took a physical for dot doc and hes saying I will have to stay of work for 30 days to get a read out anyone know for sure if thats true. I did pass the dot physical.

 

When diagnosed with sleep apnea you are disqualified until you can document successful treatment .

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/medical/faqs.aspx#question26
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