More on Concentra and sleep study

Here is one for you ALL CDL drivers will have to have a sleep apnea test done just like air traffic controllers ...... its not question of if but when he was chicken ran away ...

 

I got it when I was going for a local job with Hogan, we had to specifically use this company, every time we got our Med card renewed. Almost everyone in the group of guys I was with, got a 1 year renewal. I'm no medical expert, but I know 115/70 is a totally normal BP, ###### near perfect if not a little low.

I pointed this out to the LPN and she just shrugged and explained "Oh, well tighter DOT regs mean we have to keep a closer eye on you guys." I replied "And a closer eye on my wallet, it seems." She was not a happy gal when I walked out. It's US health-services, if I remember correctly.


Ended up leaving orientation with Hogan, company seemed like crap. I see they advertise in the local papers every single week looking for drivers. Says a lot about them when your driver turnover is 100+%

...what is this I don't even...

 

I went to concentra back when I was doing construction.. so they are not just for truck drivers... they do drug testing and physicals for all sorts of Industries.. they even do the school sport physicals...

 

I am not one for conspiracy theories... this sleep apnea stuff.. it is hard to over look.. it is all a ojt the money.. and big bucks too...

Wanda Lindsay is a widow who is a major player in this game.. her husband was killed by a truck driver who reportedly was turned away by numerous companies because of his sleep apnea.. she won 3.5 million jn the case and then started the crusade against truck drivers with sleep apnea...

Nkw, numerous of accident studies have been done.. and sleep apena or driver fatigue was not determined to be the leading cause of accidents... young inexperienced drivers topped the list..

However, there is no money to be made by raising the leagal CDL driving age to say 25.. in fact, there is more mo ey to lose.. CDL schools will lose money.. more younger people are getting into driving than before.. mainly because of the so called Free CDL training...

The FMCSA needs to show the public and Wanda Lindsay that they are doing something about the truck accidents and so they started the sleep apnea hunt...

It may on the surface seem like it is about BMI and being overweight... but not so...

If all drivers had to be sleep tested like we are drug tested.. then companies would have to foot the $1000 or more sleep study cost... so they are fignting hard against it..

To save face.. and to reassure Wanda Lindsay and the public they are doing what they can .. they have targeted drivers with high BMI or over weight..

 

I'm in OKC and went to the concentra on Reno near McArthur. The doctor just wanted a note from my regular doctor saying there were no issues with my sleep apnea that would hinder my driving commercially and that was all he needed, that was last November. The company I hired on with sent me to their own doctor for a DOT physical and he was satisfied when I told him I had a CPAP machine and used it. I also got a one year term and I guess that's because I'm on BP medication.
Sleep apnea affects skinny people too, it's not just a weight issue but it can be for some people apparently I suppose. There are other places around OKC that do DOT physicals but concentra was the cheapest I found.

 

I was led to believe 22 years safe accident free driving and 1.5 million miles had nothing to do with safety. Was your paper work turned in on time? Was log book nice and neat? I'm being sarcastic of course, I always thought the most important part about safety was not having accidents. It seems nowadays not crashing or having accidents is the last thing safety departments and FMCSA and DOT are worried about.

Adam

 

Hey now... Im a capitalist racketeer. Some may call it mafia or organized crime but capitalist racketeer sounds like "logistics engineer" instead of truck driver.

 

What needs to be separated here is the actual physical need for the sleep study and cpap use by those showing signs and symptoms, and a blanket request based on body type and physiology. Actual severe sleep apnea can have detrimental effects on your body over time including high blood pressure, heart disease, and severe fatigue. It would seem that the DOT is pushing the issue and some companies that do physicals are taking advantage of the situation. It would also seem that some truck companies are just going to CYA the situation by requiring everyone to fill out the questionnaire to see if you are show symptoms. The lines have become blurry and there is grey area that will of course be manipulated.
And no, aspirin will not lower your bp in two hours. It is a blood thinner and anti-coagulant, thus helping with clots. If you have an actual blood pressure issue you need to be treated with anti-hypertensive meds that reach the cause of the problem.

 

GregH65... awesome post...