Does sleep apnea affect passing DOT physical?

In other words you are a stand alone sleep apnea patient. Other than a doctor thinks you have need of CPAP when sleeping at night.

The machine feeds air one of two ways, try to have it feed the air the other method to where you might feel pretty good.

There are a number of CPAP users on TTR.

 

If you put sleep apnea on the DOT form you will need to bring 90 days of CPAP data with you or you will not get a medical card until you provide 90 days of data. If you put BP medication on your DOT form you will be getting a 1 year DOT medical card, instead of the standard 2 year card. You can work at 99% of trucking companies with a 1 year card.

The DOT doctor is not your family physician or your partner in good health. He's the guy that can take away your license.

 

That's a case-by-case answer. The DOT doctor is not going to do any research into your medical history other than read the form you hand him. DOT Medical Form

The first company you work for MAY send you to their preferred doctor and give you a new medical exam and their company insurance MAY do more investigation. It all depends on the company and the insurance carrier. Usually the first exam when you start working for a new company is the most strict exam, if it is ever going to be strict. Some companies will accept your current DOT medical card so long as it has 6 months before it ends. My last company always paid for DOT exams, but the first exam I was required to do some limited mobility/exercise tasks in addition to the DOT steps. There is a wide range of practice among different trucking companies and different DOT doctors. It's just another reason why you want to know the company and their environment before you make a decision.

The insurance companies have a database, I forget the name. Generally if they have paid your claims any other insurance company can find out if they look into it. Most trucking companies will fire you for lying on a job application even if what you lie about is not normally something they would have fired you for.

Look for trucking companies near where you live. Get in contact with drivers working there. Ask those drivers detailed questions. Just putting in an application for the biggest companies is not a good strategy as some of them seem to be looking for any reason to fire new drivers. Sometimes if they fire you you are still required to repay your training costs. Some companies will hire most anyone that can pass a drug test. Find a good fit for you.

 

Get out from under that CPAP.
Have your doctor can the recommendation

 

Do not put it on the form unless it was ordered by a DOT examiner for DOT complaince. If its between you and your personal doctor keep it that way. Just go do your physical for DOT. Mum's the word,

 

I just had my 2 year medical card that I got in Rhode Island replaced by a 2month one at this trucking school in Colorado that Stevens sent me to for training. They said it was because I was redflagged for sleep apnea testing, and that my blood pressure was slightly higher than usual. I understand the sleep apnea part because I'm quite heavy and I questioned if I had sleep apnea even back when I was skinny, but I'm thoroughly convinced that the blood pressure problem is because of going from a sea-level state to the Denver area.

Not looking forward to sleeping with a CPAP, but it's a necessary inconvenience in the face of the long term effects of ignoring sleep apnea.

 

I was doing my Dot and the Dr tell me you Bdi is to hight 6.2 .302 pds he give me only 3 mounths and i have to do a sleap apna