Prime Inc. 2013 Sleep Study

Hey I just took my physical and v they are gonna make you do a sleep study but it won't disqualify you from driving

 

Now that I've read this thread, it's made me realize theres a decent chance I might have to do one of these tests, but I'm not too worried about it, even though I'm a pretty big guy. It seems like this company is offering to pay for a device that will HELP YOU, if you actually need it. This job requires alertness, and uh... consciousness, lol. If practices like this are diagnosing and helping people with a real disabling ability that can make them better drivers, then I'll play a tune on the worlds smallest violin for the handful of super truckers that have sleep apnea but don't care about it because they'd have to... wear a mask when they sleep!

Throwing this in just because I haven't seen it mentioned here, but if you're worried about having sleep apnea, and you know it's cuz you're pushing 3 bills or more, losing weight is an option. It's not fun or easy, I know that for sure, but it IS an option.

 

Why even mess with all that crap?! Find a good company that is going to hire you for who are and what you can do, not what color your poop is!

There's too many good companies out there man! The good ones aren't going to give you an MRI and full brain scan before they hire you!

 

A bit of advice - I have purchased a couple back up machines for under $200 which are reconditioned, they came from a medical supplier. These are machines with a smart card so data can be downloaded. YOU will have to have a script no matter what but between eBay for other supplies and some of these medical suppliers, you can get a setup for under $300.

 

Ok so let me get this straight. When you are considered to be hired you have to do a sleep study if they deem necessary. The flip side of this coin is this....if their exisiting drivers go for the re certification do they have to take the sleep study lol

 

This is a good one 'chompi. Sleep apnea is a causal agent for many other diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, etc., diseases that take the lives of a much higher proportion of CDL drivers than in the general population. The program is in place partially because of a huge settlement forced on Prime due to an accident, and because the owner (a CDL-driver himself) actually cares about the folks who drive for him. It's part of a large overall wellness program that Prime has put in place for us.

No. Drivers who have been with Prime prior to the inception of the sleep apnea program are not required to take a sleep test, nor are new applicants. It requires a doctor's diagnosis and referral to the sleep clinic that Prime contracts with to get you into a sleep test. Current drivers who go to our doctor for a DOT physical may be required to take a sleep test if they meet certain criteria used in diagnosing the disease.

 

First of all the biggest cause of sleep disorders is not snoring. The biggest issue is when the body' circadian rhythm gets disrupted.

Often referred to as the "body clock", circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle that rules us all. This internal body clock is affected by external forces, such as sun rise and time zones. And when one's circadian rhythm is disrupted by, say jet lag, sleeping and eating patterns can run amok.

Drivers being awake when they should be sleeping....sleeping when they are awake and essentially screwing up their internal clocks is what causes the real sleep issue. This is the real issue.
How many times have you spent hours at a dock getting loaded then had to drive all night. I am not going to post a laundry list of sleep issues. I think you get the point.
The sleep apnea issue is a red herring. Screwing up your own internal clock (as I mentioned above) is the absolutely worse thing you can do!!
Sounds like a carrier got the crap sued out of them for someone falling asleep and the sleep study was probably part of the settlement.

THE REAL CAUSE IS SCREWING UP THE BODY'S CIRCADIAN RHYTHM!!

However, it is the employers right (as a condition of employment) to have people submit for a sleep study

 

Right Dr. Moglar. Where did you get your medical degree from?

 

I was fully prepared for this response.

The USDOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conducted an investigation on Split Sleep in 2012. The full study is available below. You will find it extremely interesting. its a long read....but I think it validates my point. The human body is not like a computer and cannot just shut own and go to sleep when we want to lol. I wish it was that easy.

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-rese...cial-Vehicle-Driver-Safety-and-Health-508.pdf

Currently I am in law enforcement, and have been since 1995. I dont really want to get into anything else more personal except that I am trained and versed in commercial vehicle enforcement and accident investigation. Prior to law enforcement that I had over 10 years over the road experience as a driver myself. This has nothing to do with a medical degree. The study conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration clearly points out major issues other than people who snore lol.

But I am still going to stick with the main fact. It is the carriers right to have an employee submit to a sleep study as a condition of employment....no matter who the carrier is. If the driver doesn't want to take the test...apply somewhere else.

All I am saying is that we should not point the dirty end of the stick at a driver who snores lol.

 

"This is a good one 'chompi. Sleep apnea is a causal agent for many other diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, etc., diseases that take the lives of a much higher proportion of CDL drivers than in the general population. The program is in place partially because of a huge settlement forced on Prime due to an accident, and because the owner (a CDL-driver himself) actually cares about the folks who drive for him. It's part of a large overall wellness program that Prime has put in place for us."

The program is in place because just like the other mega-carriers they don't new drivers claiming Workmans Comp. The owner of the company care less if you are alive or dead! His main goal is to keep his premiums to an absolute minimum and his claims to zero. Any problem that they can find before hiring you is one that they won't have to pay for in the future.

If you do have sleep apnea you shouldn't be driving a truck at all! Its probably one of the worst careers as far as getting the proper sleep for maintaining a healthy life. If you are unhealthy now the chances of you getting healthier while over the road are slim to none!

Not trying to give you a hard time, but ease up on the Kool-aid drinkin over there at Prime....