CSA 2010 causing Prime driver shortage

Do you have a source for this? I'd like to check that out. What happens if you're over that limit? I just don't see this holding up at all. Let's face it, more than half the industry is over a BMI of 30. I don't have hard data to back that up, but just look around. I have a BMI of 28 and I usually feel like one of the skinniest drivers around.

 

I am going by what was told me by the doctor when he checked my BP.
My brother in law's brother is sales manager for Freightliner Corporate, and I've had quite a few beers with him over the years. He told me the same thing.
Now all of this can be rumors and stories. I can't confirm. But I CAN tell you what the doctor told me, and other drivers in the company report the same conversation with the doctor.
Another driver, whom I worked with for more than 10 years in our past company, went to another company last fall, as ours had folded. He told me the same thing from HIS new employer.
I am just saying, that I think the employers out there are afraid this may be true and MAY be doing some pre emptive employment changes.
If I were 50# over a 30, I'd be working right now to change that. Better safe than unemployed and unemployable.

 

Just listened to the recorded safety message we get while on hold... GAAACK! ERRK!

(What happened to musak?)

The 500 drivers with the worst scores are going to be contacted by the safety dept. - that doesn't mean they're loosing their jobs, nor should that be read into it. Wouldn't do Prime any good to get rid of them, since the "points" stay whether the drivers are there or not. Don Lacey said they were going to talk about it...

30 of the worst 50 offenders are no longer with the company.

5 of the top 10 problems are log-related; then it's speeding, running red lights, ignoring traffic control devices, etc.

We knew this was all coming - your CDL is your ticket to a paycheck in this industry, and if you risk it doing stupid things - well, I guess the bill is coming due. If it makes the road a safer place to make our living, then my take is it's not all bad. It's not like the FMCSA has changed the rules concerning safety, as much as they're making the carriers look at how they conduct business.

 

Prime is getting alot of advertising time on the sirius Road Dog Trucking channel lately.

 

I don't listen to RD Tkg. However, I think the confusion around BMI is this: If your BMI exceeds 30, you will be asked to submit to a sleep study. If your BMI exceeds 39 (morbidly obese) well, that's when your license will be in jeopardy.

Was at my FM's desk recently when he was going over some CSA scores (yes, Prime is preemptively acting on these...trying to get those with high scores in for training) I didn't look at names, but there was a loooooonngg list of people well into the 90's. I understand FMCSA starts paying attention at around 50.

Makes me wonder whether those in the 90's are the ones making the big bucks out here.... I follow the rules, submitted to e-logs, refuse to run illegal either overweight or overtime, don't get tickets, don't refuse or b***h about loads and in my time out here have only gotten one warning ticket and several clean inspections. But I'm not making any money. If I make anything, seems I do okay for a couple weeks and then it dries up for a month. Just enough to catch up, but never enough to get ahead....

 

Run with steelhorse there.........he makes ALL the money, follow him around !!

 

There has been no talk at all by the medical review board about ever taking drivers off the road for being heavy. And I would say that it will never happen. I would even put money on it.
As to the BMI thing.
Right now the review board is talking about 33 or 34 being the number for a sleep study. No rule is out though and will not be for quite some time.
The only people really pushing for this are the ones with something to gain from it. If every driver with a BMI over 33 has to get a sleep study, and even 1/3 of those have sleep apnea then we are talking billions of dollars in found money for Doctors and medical supply people.
It may keep 10 people a year from crashing too, but that is minimal to them compared to the money from getting these study's done. Heck it is funny. When I am at my lowest healthy weight of 205 I have a high BMI. I know my body fat number though because I have had body fat analysis done.
They should allow this for people that are more muscle than fat.
I am not fat but in the Army I was over weight at every PT test after basic training.
I had to get a body fat analysis done every 6 months to stay in.
But that is better than sleep studys and should be an option.
My BMI is not too high for this, my issue is neck size. I am close on BMI but not over.

These sleep people pushing this do not like to admit that muscle weighs more than fat.

 

Hmmmm....Yup.....

 

I agree with you 100%. A quick google of "FMCSA sleep apnea bmi" will lead to a number of research projects that have been completed about the issue of BMI/Sleep apnea/crashes. ATRI found little, if any, relationship between sleep apnea and crashes: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/briefs/SleepApneaCrash-RiskStudy-TechBrief.htm. NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) found that there is a correlation: http://www2a.cdc.gov/nioshtic-2/BuildQyr.asp?s1=20036134&View=e&. So, at this point, it depends on who you believe. At the snail's pace that our government moves, it seems unlikely that there will be any hard and fast evidence or regulation anytime in the near future.

That does not mean that carriers would forego a back door approach if they so desired. They could design a fitness test that could, potentially, disqualify a driver. They are well with their rights to do this. Many carriers have fitness qualifications now that go beyond the scope of DOT's medical long form.

Bottom line, in my humble opinion, is that drivers who know that they do not get "restorative" sleep, - whether it is because of sleep apnea, irresponsibility, ignorance of the dangers involved in driving while fatigued, or a lack of maturity-yet drive anyway, are the root cause of the problem.

I do not drive the big trucks yet but I've been a licensed 4-wheeler for over 40 years. I believe drivers of 40 ton vehicles have a responsibility that goes way beyond simply adhering to rules....it goes all the way to caring about the consequences of their irrational behavior. Driving a 40 ton vehicle while fatigued or otherwise impaired is irrational.....and criminal!