Federal regulators are issuing new guidance for truck driver medical qualifications, and sleep apnea regulations could be a next step.
FMCSA urges truck drivers affected by the Philips recall of nearly 4 million CPAP or BiPAP machines “to work with their medical providers to find alternatives wherever possible — and for CPAP manufacturers to provide all available assistance to drivers impacted by recalls.”
Sleep apnea is one of the more than 80 different sleep disorders that can be life-threatening if left untreated. ‘Apnea’ is Ancient Greek meaning ‘without breath’, which is at the heart of why this sleep disorder is so deadly.
In partnership with Reliance Partners …Since July 2017, dayzz has been developing an evidence-based, personalized sleep training app for enterprise workforces to improve sleep quality while reducing healthcare and employer costs.
Also in the pickup: better tools for sleep apnea instruments in sleeper berths; does Buffet care about BNSF’ OR?
Fatigue is one of the most common health and safety concerns among drivers on the road, and while sleep loss often plays a role in feeling fatigued, counting hours doesn’t always tell the whole story.
When the U.S. Department of Transportation announced in August that it was abandoning a proposed rulemaking for sleep apnea, many in the industry were not pleased. While there is no mandate, sleep apnea remains a very treatable problem for drivers.
The numbers are startling: 250,000 U.S. drivers fall asleep at the wheel each day; 83,000 drowsy-driving related crashes occurred between 2005 and 2009, and there is a drowsy-driving related crash every 25 seconds. For trucking companies, the costs can be staggering.
Just days after the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it would no longer seek a federal rule to test train and truck operators for sleep apnea, Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blasted the agency and demanded it reconsider the rule.
Four of the defendants in the Pilot Flying J federal fraud trial have reached plea deals with prosecutors, according to documents filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
