CPAP (sleep Study For Private School?)

Ynkedad, and all others concerned, this sleep apnea stuff is coming to real head with the new regulations put into place concerning the medical physicals and having to be registered and trained to be on the list of physicians allowed to do the D.O.T. physicals.

Coleen, let me try and clarify a few things I said and hopefully not mislead anyone or cause any more confusion.

The regulation that I was referring to is the fact that the physicians doing D.O.T. physicals must be in a national registry, and the results of your physical will be entered into a national database. You very soon will no longer even have a medical card - the information will be available to a peace officer when he runs a check on your commercial license. For a physician to keep him/herself in this registry they must include questions concerning sleep habits and certain indicators (such as the neck measurement) that are high risk indicators of sleep apnea, never mind that this is not even considered good solid science yet by many experts. I recently went through this process since I changed employers and the physician (local Chiropractor doing physicals for a large carrier) told me that these physicals were a large part of his business and he couldn't afford to not do them the way they are making him,or else he would be jeopardizing his income.

Now, thanks to our "Nanny State" type of government, which we have been slowly allowing to take our liberties away because we all seem to like having stuff given to us, the physician must indicate on your physical results a score concerning the likelihood of you being affected by sleep apnea. He's not saying you have it, nor is he saying that you will have to be tested for it. The big BUT... comes in now. You see, no prudent trucking company is going to dare hire you because they are now exposing themselves to a huge liability in a courtroom trial by jury situation where the attorneys have easy access to this database. This is how you force an issue without having to actually write it into a regulation. I'm doing all I can at this point to not take off on a anti-government diatribe because this isn't what we are here for, but I will just say that the weasels we have in Washington these days are playing hardball with peoples lives and livelihoods and at some point "we the people" are going to have to come to our senses and put a stop to some of their shenanigans at the ballot box.

Now ... if the company requires you to be tested and then monitors your use of the necessary machine, if it is determined that you need it, then they have covered their bases and they have limited their liability by showing a good faith effort at protecting the public motorists. The real problem seems to come in when you start trying to figure out who is going to pay for all this. Well, no one seems to think the company should pay for their blood pressure medicine - and no one seems to think they should pay for their eye glasses, but somehow everyone seems to think they should pay for this sleep apnea test and the cpap machine. It is a big expense, that no one would want to take on, but the trucking companies need drivers badly, so some of them are trying to come up with ways to deal with this problem.

We really can't expect them to pay for it, because whose to say that once they pay for your test and equipment you don't decide to jump ship and just go over and start working for Brand X Transportation? If some of the large carriers decided that they would start paying for this just so they could get drivers, all the smaller companies have to do is tell their applicants to go over to "Big Rig Trucking" and get them to pay for your testing, and then once they get you all set up just come back over here and we will put you in the seat of one of our trucks. This is the way these kind of scenarios work themselves out when you have unintended consequences from short sighted politicians and legislators.

I hope I'm not just causing more confusion or misunderstanding on this matter. It is a complicated thing, because the federal bureaucrats who are so afraid that they might come across as not be politically correct by insinuating that overweight people need to be tested for sleep apnea have weaseled their way out of the fray by dumping the fear of litigation on the trucking companies, and the fear of loss of revenue on the ones doing the physicals with these "witch hunt" tactics to get something done. Government controls can be a good thing, and some are, but some things like this one are doing more harm than good with the way they have chosen to go about it.

Okay, I'll have to stop now or I'll start going over the line and let my true feelings show.

Old School, great conversation. I understand the politics of regulating. We're currently experiencing the public wanting government to make life safe, and to some extent that's a necessity. I remember acid rain and the Cuyahoga River catching on fire. It's always more complicated than just lets regulate industry, can we say catalytic converter. Sounded good but in reality not. I'm just tired of being thought of as unhealthy because I don't weigh a certain weight. But that's just life. I do want to drive trucks but I don't know if I can afford to, I just barely came up with the money for school. Sorry to highjack this thread but dang this is aggravating.

I find the sleep apnia/CPAP discussion itneresting. I've got a couple of friends who went through the study and use the CPAP and the difference in their quality of life is HUGE. However, being made to take the study, etc. as a condition of employment is actually the crux of the matter in this thread. One thing I will point out. Your physical and the documentation are Protected Health Informati (PHI) under the HIPPA regulations. If/when the feds ever get a database up and working it will NOT be open to any LEO or other interested party. The database will have record of your exam and the yes/no of whether you passed. Your actual health information is NOT releasable without your consent. I know this only because I've been working in the health software business a few years and have to sent violation letters to customers when they send me too much patient data.

I've got a couple of friends who went through the study and use the CPAP and the difference in their quality of life is HUGE.

Hey David, thanks for jumping in here. I couldn't agree more with that above statement and have mad that same comment in some other threads on the sleep apnea thing. It really is a life changer for so many of the people who start using the CPAP. Many people who didn't even have a clue that they might have sleep apnea are amazed at the difference in their energy levels and overall feeling of wellness after they start using their CPAPs.

Also what you said about the health information is spot on. It's not like the leo's are going to be able to access your personal health information, but they will be able to tell if you have kept your medical physicals current and have passed your physical.

https://www.truckingtruth.com/trucking_blogs/Article-3188/the-sleep-apnea-witch-hunt'

Phil

Coleen, let me just share with you the way I understand this thing unfolds. If when you go to take your physical the physician determines that you have scored over a certain benchmark measurement then he puts that score on your long form Medical Examination report, in fact he puts a score on each report what ever that score is. By score I am referring to your BMI (body mass index) they will also put a neck measurement on there. I'm looking at my long form right now and see that I had a 29.2 BMI and a neck measurement of 16.

If it is determined that you need to take a sleep study, and I believe this is determined by the employer based on your score, more than likely you will be required to pay for it. Now, I believe the initial study is basically a limited test to see if you need to undergo a more thorough test. This limited test usually runs somewhere between 80 and 100 dollars. If you can clear this hurdle and pass that test then you are cleared and it will be documented, and you don't have to pursue it anymore. If it is determined that you need the more involved test then that is where it starts to get costly. I know some companies like Prime, and maybe Werner, and I think I heard something about Maverick, are trying to help potential drivers with this expense by fronting the money for not only the testing, but also the equipment and then deducting it in small increments from your pay check. You have to sign an agreement with them and you can count on them sending you a bill if you bail on your employment before you've paid them back. They will pursue it as an actual debt and any prudent person can understand that I think.

So, don't let the potential threat of this totally bum you out, there are ways to deal with it and many of the trucking companies realize they have to come up with a plan to deal with this. Hang in there in school and don't let this be to big a distraction for you.

Old School when I first read this post I thought I would have to do the sleep test in order to pass the physical. I've been putting off the physical because I have a mild case of diabetes and my sugar has been a little high. I've been eating out too much and not walking my dogs (husband's been doing it). After thinking I'm not so freaked out. Actually it may be a good thing because if I do have sleep apnea and don't know it, the test could actually save my life. I have diabetes but no symptoms, but because every grandparent of mine, my mom, aunt and sister have or had diabetes my doctor prescribed a glucose test. I now can feel when my sugar is high and have learn to control it with diet. Some as with sleep apnea, you may be so used to the symptoms that you don't know you have it. The flip side of the coin is that I need this job to pay for the test. Companies need drivers to do the sleep test, drivers need the company to be able to afford the test. Isn't it wonderful that our government cares about our health so much? Wow before you know it mayors of major cities will want the government to regulate how much soda we drink.

Companies need drivers to do the sleep test, drivers need the company to be able to afford the test.

I'm not saying I expect companies to pay for the test. What I am saying I need a job to pay for the test. I'm one of those who isn't poor enough for healthcare but not rich enough to pay to co-pay.

I quickly went through the regulations, as far as I can see sleep apnea is not yet a regulation but it has been proposed. So I guess it's up to the medical personal that does your physical. I think the company that are requiring a sleep test see that this is going to be a regulation and they're just getting a jump on this situation. I'm not against the sleep test but I can't afford it just now.

Colleen, I was given a 2 year medical card by the physician (whom the company I am going to go to school for chose btw) and the company made me go back and have it down graded to a 6 month until i could get a sleep study done at their expense while in school. I am ok with it and if I find out I have sleep apnea I will use a CPAP machine as required. I'm not thrilled as I don't think I have sleep apnea, but what do I know? I have been single for 14 years so anything is possible as there is no one around to tell me I snore badly and occasionally stop breathing. Heck, I don't even have a dog to disturb at night! I am just going to roll with the punches and see how things shake out. I will let y'all know once I have it done though!

Yeah, My issue isn't with the Sleep Study or having to use the machine. It's that the information isn't readily available.

(RANT) Honestly, the average person doesn't know it's an issue (in the CDL world) until it's mentioned, or they happen to stumble into a thread that say's it could be. There are literally hundreds of obvious questions to be asked by a person who's wanting to enter this field, but how many think to ask about their BMI being an issue? Why would they? There's so much to take in and so much excitement of a new career to be had, The last thing on one's mind is...Yup, one's BMI. It's all about $$$, miles, which company to go with, Apu's , bonuses, benefits etc... Seriously, you'd think it would be listed somewhere, like maybe under the minimal qualifications section of their website. That way people wouldn't get caught off guard during the process of qualifying for a truck driving job. I dunno... (END RANT) Please don't think I'm dogging the industry. I'm just pointing out something that I feel could be handled better.

I've done lots of reading on the subject before going to the TDS this past Monday, because I did stumbled onto a thread about it. I have yet to read anything stating it was a deal breaker at any of the companies I'm looking at. In fact, what I read was, a number of stories of people who were at School, and that's where they were hit with the BMI factor. Yup, most had no idea it was coming. So, at that potentially humiliating point in their lives, due to their BMI, the School would send them to have the sleep study done, after which they're told they need to buy a machine for the low low price of...$$$ As mentioned above, I have read where the Company would pay for the test and front you the $ for the machine, then deduct a fee weekly from your check till it was paid for. So, there is that option, with some companies.

So why is it potentially humiliating? Well, for one, You're in a room with a bunch of strangers and you're informed that you need a sleep study because of your BMI. Not quite the best of situations... Why is that a problem? Well, Sleep Apnea is often looked upon as being a preventable Disability that affects Fat people. When in fact, it affects thin people too. And yes, it's considered a disability.

My Long azz point is... Maybe some of this could be avoided (in a perfect world) if, potential CDL applicants knew of the BMI guidelines before hand. That way they'd at least have options.

By the way, I was 42yrs old, 6' 4" w/a neck size of 17" and weighed 235, which = 28.6 BMI. Which is over weight but not obese. I was a weight lifter (no drugs) and into martial arts and in shape, when I was diagnosed with sleep apnea

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

• Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
• Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
• Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
• Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

Sleep Apnea:

A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.

In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.

It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.

BMI:

Body mass index (BMI)

BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:

• Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
• Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit

It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APU's:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.