Driving with sleep apnea

Buy a cpap machine, learn to love it, end of problem. I have it bad, use the little device and it changed my life. I sleep like a dead dog every night.

 

Speaking about that, I think that I better go back to sleep for a couple of hours before I drive the rest of the way to GA.
Good Night all.

 

I have not dealt with sleep apnea, but it is very much in the news. It appears to me that the trucking industry is trying to help drivers who have a body mass index greater than 29. The industry will benefit from a better safety record and lower health care costs. Meanwhile, drivers are resistant to testing and treatment, so the government is considering mandatory screening (Transport Topics 4/13/09 page 2)

There is a letter to the editor (Transport Topics 5/11/09 page 7) from James Berryhill, an expert in the field of sleep apnea. He points out that "sleep apnea is like any other treatable chronic disorder, such as hypertension or diabetes-- with proper treatment and management, a driver would be considered fit for duty." In Mr. Berryhill's opinion, the trucking industry should be proactive with its own sleep apnea policies before the government creates another costly program. It is not necessary to test all 14 million drivers to help the 3.9 million likely to have sleep apnea.

You have a doctor's release. A good company should realize it is better to hire someone who manages his sleep apnea than to hire someone who denies having it and refuses to be tested.

 

This topic comes up periodically, and you might want to read some of these older threads as well.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...er/39968-cpap-apnea-machines-on-the-road.html

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...r/35602-question-on-new-hire-sleep-apnea.html

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...225-sleep-disorders-in-trucking-industry.html

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...corner/53946-i-took-cab-sleep-apnea-test.html

You can find more by using the search function. Type in "apnea" and you'll get a string of threads to read.

 

schneider has a testing program for their drivers and the ones that are on the machines as a group have a 38% lower accident rate. i have it and had a pacemaker put in as a safety precaution because when i was sleeping my heart slowed down sometimes to 25 bpm with normal bpm being 70-100 (i have no heart problems). soon the guidlines will be part of your physical and i know in pensy the doctors are already required by law to notify the state if you fall under the guidelines disqualifying you untill you are tested and recieving treatment . you can not fake out the machines either they record the info and you must use the machine at least 4 hours a night

 

YES.

June of 2007 I did a little experiment. I applied to 12 different trucking companies on line.

The first 6 when I called the recruiter I did not mention that I have sleep apnea. I also did not ask any questions about getting an ivertor wired or APU's for powering the CPAP.

The second 6 I asked questions about sleep apnea.

I got job offers from all 6 of the companies I did not ask about sleep apnea.

The other 6 2 - referred me to a nurse who covered that I was under current treatment, could provide a doctor letter etc. I got job offers from those 2 companies.

The other 4 did not make me a job offer.

I followed up the next day with the 4 that did not make job offers. Pushing I ended up with either someone in their legal department or a human resources department supervisor. I explained that they had 24 hours to e-mail me an explanation of the exact reasons other than sleep apnea that they were not offering me a position. If they failed to e-mail me I was listing them as the company contact for the EEOC discrimination complaint I would be filing the following day.

I received job offers from 3 of the 4 companies that at first did not offer me a job.
The last company said it was their insurance company that would not insure a driver with sleep apnea.

Discrimination in employment on the basis of a disability (and sleep apnea is a disability) is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. While companies probably know its a violation they have been getting away with it for years.

It's one of the reasons many drivers are reluctant to get tested for sleep apnea. Yet, if a company gives you problems.. you need to file the EEOC complaint. Unless the companies start getting hit with fines etc they will just it up.

 

I have sleep apnea and have a machine, I just started with my first company. When I took the physical I explained to the Dr. that I had apnea and that I used the machine religously (which is true) and he marked the form as having the condition under control.

It's been stated that refusing you because of it, when you have it under control is illegal, and I would have to agree with that. It isn't any different than diabetes or anything else that is under control.

One other thing, although often it is a condition that is aggravated by increased body mass, that is not always the case. I know a couple of people that are extremely slim in fact one of them is skin and bones and they suffer from the condition also. I would suggest to anyone that is constantly tired to read up on this and see if that is the problem. Believe me it will be worth it in the long run.

 

In 2008, one of our younger drivers rear-ended another tractor-trailer. I believe it was the only driver fatality in the history of the company. The troopers of that state determined he had dozed off. Shortly after that, our drivers were checked during their d.o.t. physicals. If any driver had a neck size of 17 inches or greater, he/she was sent for a sleep study.
I don't agree with sending only 'obese' drivers for the sleep study. I know of a few people who are considered to be 'normal size' who suffer from sleep apnea. I also know a few 'obese' people that don't seem fatigued at all.
Me? Most of the time, I can never get more than 6 hours of sleep. And, on long runs I will stop at a rest area on the way back to the terminal to take a half hour nap. But, if I can get more than 6 hours of sleep, I'm good to go. I've seen questionnaires that ask if you fall asleep watching television. If I'm watching tv while I'm laying in bed, I'll never get to sleep. I won't even get 6 hours sleep. I think their intentions are good, I just think they are misguided on how to get where they want to be.