Unmasking the Sleep Apnea Scam: Are Trucking Companies Profiting From 'Exhausted' Truckers?
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- Unmasking the Sleep Apnea Scam: Are Trucking Companies Profiting From 'Exhausted' Truckers'?
In this video, Dave talks about the sleep apnea and CPAP machine industry, within the trucking industry, and how it's affecting truck drivers.
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It's a con alright. It's the medical community that's behind it. Truck drivers have to sleep at all kinds of oddball hours. I did one of those studies. Number one: they expect you to sleep when they get you hooked up to all kinds of wires taped to your head and chest. Number two: The room is not dark and they have a camera pointed at you while you are supposed to sleep. Strange area, with noises that you are not used to. You have to be there at eight PM. but by the time you are wired up, an hour has passed. I'm old enough that I have to get up a couple of times at night, so you have to unhook from the wires, and then get rehooked when you get back. By this time you are fully awake. Promptly at six Am. you are supposed to get up and leave. Due to those conditions, probably 3/4 of the people who take the test are diagnosed with sleep apnea. It's total bullshit!
Walk away from any company that wants cash from you to work for them and definitely if they're a member of the ATA.
Concentra only gave me a 3 month card because I’m overweight and my neck size, even though I’m a local driver and exercise regularly. Instead of getting the sleep study I lost 30 lbs and told them to beat it! Got my 2 yr card
That happened to me, a PA, not a doctor, walked into the exam room, first thing out of his mouth, you're gonna need a sleep study, you're overweight. That was before anything else?
Corruption knows no bounds. This is Insurance scam and fraud, and it should be punished as such. I'm so sick of blatant corruption and NO ACCOUNTABILITY.
never ever give a dot doctor any information they don"t need
I have Sleep Apnea but my situation is a bit unique. My wife noticed that I was coughing, gagging, and gasping for air during the night, every night. I don’t have a huge neck and yes, I’m a bit overweight like most 60 year olds (turned 60 last month😳), but not obese. I voluntarily went to a sleep lab in Mission Viejo, CA and spent the night there with all kinds of wires connected to me. It was determined that I had well over 60 episodes per hour. Mind you, the trucking industry had absolutely nothing to do with this, it was decided by my wife and I to do this out of concerns for my health. After day one, I immediately felt a difference. I was much more well rested and mentally sharper. I wasn’t walking around in a daze anymore and I wasn’t tired all the time either. This was 15 years ago and I still use my CPAP machine every night, including for my cat naps. Without it, it’s a total waste of time, I might as well just keep driving on down the road. My machine sends data to an app on my phone and to my sleep doctor, that’s it. My carrier has no access to my data. I agree with you that these CPAP scams do occur, and it’s too bad that they do. There are many ppl out there that REALLY do need sleep therapy but aren’t getting it. There are others that do have a machine but don’t use it because they hate the mask, tubing, etc. I do it because the benefits FAR outweigh the minor drawbacks and I also need to show that I use my machine to pass a DOT physical. No problem there because I use my machine religiously. I just show the doctor the data on my app and I’m good to go.
Right there with ya brother.
@@RLacy-nl7mt thanks, I appreciate that.
I have a similar story. But mega carriers now are demanding access to the cloud(data).
5 years ago, everyone was ok with just updating them monthly with a pdf. Now. They demand total access. Which should be a HIPPA violation, but isnt.
I had my company doctor force me to get a sleep study. I was one point over what they considered requiring me to use a cpap machine. I couldn't sleep with it on, so I was forced to buy a custom fit mouth guard that costs me $3500! I couldn't sleep with a giant plate in my mouth either! Between lost time, a cap machine, 9 DOT physicals, and lost time at work , I was out over $8000!
I finally got on the carnavor diet and lost 50 pounds. I re tested, and they could no longer pull the sleep apnea BS on me anymore! This is the biggest SCAME ever pulled on the truck driver! I've been driving truck over 33 years most and l almost just gave up and quit! Makes me wonder how many good drivers have quite over this stupid crap! Love your channel! Long live you and the Lettuce King! ❤
I've felt for awhile that this is a scam going on between the doctors and the manufacturers of these sleep apnea machines. My company has had drivers just walk into a clinic to update their medical, and were told they looked tired and they needed a sleep apnea test immediately. Most of the older drivers I know have been tested, and it always seems to be some subjective observation by the the doctor that caused it to be necessary. Getting tested, diagnosed, and receiving the machine can take months while the driver's job is held in the balance. It should require some action on the driver to ask for a test before it is required. Honestly I'm surprised there hasn't been a major lawsuit on this issue given how long its gone on.
As a retired Driver with severe obstructive sleep apnea and use a machine EVERY night, I can tell you that it takes an overnight stay in a sleep lab to accurately diagnose sleep apnea. I also have to be retested every few years and I have never knocked my mask off at night. I do not wear it when I have a head cold because it will give you a sinus infection. I have sleep apnea so bad that I welcome the damn machine and sleep SO MUCH better with it. And I will not trust captive corporate doctors any more than I would a "lease purchase" agreement. In-house doctors are a scam.
Flagrant violation of HIPPA law. Lawyers need to take notice, and this is a prime target for a massive Class Action law suit against every Mega-Carrier that does this. (looking at you PRIME INC, and WERNER)
I agree totally. Walk away from any doctor or company that requires these tests. We have the power here. They need us way more than we need them. In fact, walk away from any mega carrier. You'll be much happier with a smaaller operation.
Werner does this. Now I’m stuck wearing this POS mask for the rest of my life. Best part is their requirement is 4hrs a night 90% of a 90 day period when FMCSA requires 4hrs a night 70% of a 90 day period. I NEVER had a issue sleeping and now I find myself constantly waking up and checking the clock to see if it’s been 4 hrs so I can take it off and actually sleep
Does the data read that you’re actually wearing it? I was thing to myself “maybe I’d just let it run if I didn’t like it?” But idk what the data collection is based on.
I’m sure there’s something you could rig up to trick it thinking that it’s connected to your face, sucks you have to go to this level just to work though.
Go find a new company to work for and get a new medical card. Do it before its too late. I love these carriers that insist you go to their doctors.
You pretty much said verbatim what happened to me.
@@fighter4christ7 I know my machine knows the difference between wearing it and just letting it run to run up hours. Don’t know how exactly but it does
I agree with your perspective on this sleep apnea racket. I had the very same diagnosis by some quack hired by a large company in California to do my D.O.T. physical. He determined that solely because of my neck size , I needed to do a sleep test. Because I protested for his reason (I played both football and lacrosse), he demanded that I take the test and would only grant me a 6-month card to do it. He also provided all of the information, including mentioning that it would cost me over $700 to take this test.. Luckily, I had quit that company before the card expired, got a new job, got re-examined for medical, and passed without any mention of a test or study program. The timing on that entire ordeal had me wondering what kind of racket they had organized. 😮
I miss the travel and being on the road, but with the continuous rule changes, I am glad I retired in 2017.
Thanks for talking about this. What your talkin about happened to me some years ago for an employer I'm still working for. When I had to go and get my federal medical card renewed the clinic asked me do I snore and I told them I did snore but it don't affect me when I'm on the road. They asked do I fall asleep on the road I said no I don't. Next thing I know they're measuring my neck saying that I need to go and have a sleep apnea test based on my neck size or they would not renew my fed med card. I ended up having to go to a sleep study place and they charged me almost $4,000 to find out that what I said was true that I didn't have sleep apnea. What a scam. When I went to my employer I told them what this company was doing to us drivers and they told us we are responsible for our own health. Thank goodness they later did start listening to us when I think the bills started adding up on their end. Thanks for bringing this scam to light.
I'm a retired FF with sleep apnea. I was diagnosed several years ago. When I got my CDL, I disclosed that I have sleep apnea. So every year when I get my DOT physical, I provide a print out of my sleep habits. My company doesn't force me to do it but my health does. The mask doesn't bother me,as I was a FF for 35 years. I do find that I sleep better now. So I'll be using it from now on. And on a side note, my company can't track my sleep habits. That's a HIPPA violation. Keep up the good work sir.
I got a cheap used sleep apnia machine - the patient died and never used it. They make a decent painting mask because the pressurized air virtually eliminates breathing fumes - route the hose from the unit from outside air
If you hsve sleep issues. try to lose some weight. The CPAP is just "masking" the real issue
The unit can benefit sleep issues for me. It tends to dry out my throat even with a humidifier attachment and the air can either be too warm or too cold.
Yeah for real, the only time I’ve seen losing weight isn’t the answer is in bodybuilders because the muscle mass, but past that it’s amazing what 30 pounds can change…
I took the sleep apnea test while I was wide awake. It said I quit breathing numerous times. I was wide awake. I was given a machine and refuse to use it. The DOT Physical Doctor said I didn't need it. This was given to me by a company Dr. I never seen him and he wouldn't know me if I walked up and shook his hand
I asked my neurologist about about sleep apnea. He responded that EVERYBODY has some degree of apnea, the issue is how much and does it prevent restful sleep,leading to daytime sleepiness? These companies are jumping to conclusions that indicators such as neck size, age, etc will cause sleepiness while driving. Drivers MUST take it upon themselves to get medical help if they find they are consistently fatigued.
Sleep Apnea testing is the most uncomfortable, worse night of sleep I've ever had.
I agree with what you said. These companies don't care one bit for their drivers. I was terminated from a carrier when they found out that i have stage 2 liver cancer. So, I know exactly what you mean.
A particular company that runs black trucks out of mesquite Texas tried that when I came through in 2019,they "measured" everyone's neck and made certain folks that were bigger than others take a "sleep test"
I've been using a CPAP for years & luv it. Testing for me was a overnight stay hooked up to sensors connected to my scalp & chest results showed my breathing was interrupted throughout the night it's why I would always wake up tired...The forced air produced by the machine provides a certain amount of pressure it's that pressure that keeps the airway open the pressure is determine by one's results seems scientific to me...The force of the air may seem it's a lot but you don't notice it....The masks are very difficult to just knock off during sleep they come in all shapes and sizes some are not a mask at all...Sleep Apnea is a real thing.
Try and find a job driving truck today, where the company, or their doctor they use for the DOT physical doesn't push a sleep study. Even the doctors issuing med cards want to make sure they don't get sued, if you are overweight you're going for a sleep study. Another thing you failed to mention, in the U.S., a med card is only good for a year if you have to use a CPAP machine.
I took an initial home test that said I had sleep apnea, I started wearing the cpap equipment, and I then changed medical insurance where I took a sleep test in a clinic which was like night and day results. I was diagnosed this time with severe sleep apnea and put on a bipap machine, this was life saving. It takes time to get used to wearing the equipment, this is the biggest complaint I hear from other Drivers that are diagnosed with sleep apnea. Once you get used to the mask you'll sleep much better and feel well rested. If I wasn't properly diagnosed I would be Dead right now, I was literally suffocating while I slept. I think it's an excellent program, but it has to have the proper study in a sleep clinic to be properly diagnosed. When properly diagnosed, it saves lives, ours, and the motoring public.
J.B. Hunt never sold them that I knew of in the years I was there (1995-2003) No way was I paying for such a device as that's their problem. And they wonder why there will never be enough drivers.
Since this spring i have been on the cpap machine. I had to take a test at home and ive been diagnosed with a mild case of sleep apnea. After i got the machine it made a huge difference for me im not as tired as i used to be. Only downside is now i only get one year D O T cards.
If you truly have sleep apnea the cpap will change your world. I went on my own to a sleep doctor and kept quiet that I was a driver. I did have apnea and am being treated. Mine was done in a sleep lab with sleep studies to show it.
Scam.
Hey there Driver. We're thrilled you've taken the time to drop by this afternoon, to catch our latest upload. A VERY SPECIAL THANKS to MARK FRITCH, of OREGON, who inspired us and helped us out with his vast knowledge of this subject. THANKS MARK!!!!! Sleep apnea IS a real thing, no doubt. BUT, we question just how many drivers truly have sleep apnea, especially when there aren't definitive parameters to diagnose. How about you driver? What's your take on the Sleep Apnea 'thing'? Have you been 'squeezed' by your carrier and forced to use and pay for a CPAP machine and don't feel you should be? Love to hear what's happening with you.
I got a used CPAP machine for very little. Many of them are never used.
I got stuck with a CPAP in March this year. I never had problems sleeping. Ever since they handcuffed me to this $1000 machine that came out of my paycheck I've had trouble sleeping ever since. I wake up every 30 to 40 minutes when wearing this thing. The moment I take it off I'm asleep for hours only being woken up by what's going on outside. I've been hearing from other drivers they have gotten out of the test by not sleeping when taking it. I plan on doing the same if I get the chance. I've already made it clear to the carrier I'm with that if this isn't resolved I'm leaving.
I also got sick the first time in years since I've been forced to wear it. We already know the quality of air is poor when being forced to wear something on our face for hours at a time. I have no doubt the CPAP got me sick.
WranglerStar would agree!
In the U.S., the FMCSA does not require BMI or neck measurement. "They" are making things up because of kickback referrals
Good To See this being talked about
Walmart had a Executive VP of safety. He forced all of The Walmart DOT Doctors to find Company drivers noncompliant Unless they use a CPAP 4 hours a night. Data is sent to Safety every night. Aftwr Steven Garrish implemented this policy. A few months later he left Walmart and accepted a Lucrative Job with Sleepsafe.
Every damn day it’s something! When in the Sam Hill they gonna stop this madness…I’m sure glad I retired 4 years ago after 44 yrs. of truckin, by the way my dogs snore right along with me in unison so says my wife
They don't ever plan on stopping it, until every citizen is a slave to the government.
I meet a driver once who said his carrier sent him for a SA test because he was overweight. Came back negative, so they sent him back for another test several times.
It's funny I drove for Walmart I ran nights for 20 years I prefer it,they sent me to test me for sleep apnea, I showed up at 7pm like they told me and watched TV until 5am they said it was inconclusive because I never slept then I went home slept for my five hours and I was good those tests are a joke I'm retired now and still don't sleep at night never did
I totally agree with this 110% they said I had sleep apnea 10yrs ago without having a study just because I snored during a surgery lol then when I did finally get tested 8 yrs ago and got a cpap machine and couldn't wear it and got into a hit and run accident where someone rear-ended us and I ended up with neck pain and headaches everyday for 4yrs now my neurologist has been on the kick from day 1 that since in have sleep apnea and I don't use my machine that's the whole problem why I have headaches,neck pain!!!! My response to that neurologist was so what your telling me is if I was wearing your damn cpap while riding in the car as a passenger and someone rear-ended us and did a hit and run I shouldn't of ended up with ANY injuries at all because that cpap would've prevented them? I told her she was so ret*rded it wasn't even funny....told her to go back through all my medical history I've never had any reports of headaches or neck pain that has went on for more than a few days not years not months
My dad has had "sleep apnea" his entire life AND he is still living good and moving good. The whole family has begged him to get a breathing machine for his sleeping and snoring problems BUT he never will do it because of the noise they make when functioning at night!
Great video! I drove for a guy that was contracted to a company. He went in for his physical and they said he had sleep apnea. He did not fail his physical and got his card but the company refused him from driving until he got tested and prove he was on a machine.
If a cpap machine is mandated then shouldn’t the carriers just provide one? Offering financing reeks of a scam. To be fair, sleep apnea is problem. I have it, and I know my sleep has dramatically improved since I got my machine. Took me a couple of weeks to get used to the mask but since then it’s no looking back. Use it every day. I have to take a printout of my sleep machine usage for the year in with me every year to my DOT physical to keep my Fedmed card.
i believe schnider pays for the drivers machines if they have it
I started at Werner in 16’. My trainer had a cpap machine but I kept thinking he wasn’t in bad health for a 40 y/o. Not obese, no snoring. Both my parents were in the medical field for almost 40 years. They said he needed a 2nd opinion. Sure enough my trainer was getting screwed. After I finished training he quit to work for a local company without all the scamming bs.
I will not submit to a sleep apnea test. I want nothing to with it.
My last dot testing 2014 they made me fill out a form with questions about my sleep habits. It was designed to make you show you had sleep apnea. I answered wisely and past. Then retired next year.its a racket just like covid testing
When your job is to test for sleep apnea, of course you qualify for a machine.
Perhaps the sleep apnea thing is really a way to test your critical thinking skills and ability to think on your feet, when they ambush you with questions like that, you have to anticipate what the correct answer is and say it.
Friend of mine accompanied his mother, almost 90, to her doctors appt. She answered all the doctor's questions, yea, yea, no, yea . . . when they got out into the elevator, he said, "You were lying your butt off to your doctor,, you don't do ANY of that stuff." And she said, "Yes, I know, dear, but if I tell the doctor what he wants to hear, it saves a lot of time.".
I had to pay $1,200 dollars for sleep apnea test and machine and pay a monthly fee for them to monitor it.
You'll get fired if you don't use it every night
The freedom of trucking has been gone for years now .I loved driving a truck very much it made me a decent living i did it for 40 years with small carriers and would never work for the large ones I have been retired for several years and an glad i don't have to put up with the bull crap anymore
Not at all on small mc side
As long as you have the proof that you use the machine 100% of the time. You keep your CDL license. That said you have to renew your CDL physical once a year. Which is more often then anyine else.
Sleep Apnea would be a reason I couldn't sleep on the road. But I remember hearing the refer kicking on all night and waking me a lot. Never had a bad nights sleep when I wasn't bothered by something external.
I started trucking before covid. Once I got my cdl school and finished the company training course, I volunteered for a sleep apnea test because I was 99% sure I had sleep apnea. This way, the company paid for the sleep study, and my down time.
I'm glad I did. It turns out I had severe sleep apnea and the test device recorded 45+ events per hour, and I use the machine every day, which lowers my EPH to less than 1. And instead of needing 10hours of sleep, I now only need 4.
That said. Now that it's officially been diagnosed. I can no longer get a physical for longer than a year. Carriers demand access to the cloud ( which ought to be a violation of HIPPA, but isn't due to "safety") And I'm put out of service if I have too many days with less than 4 hours recorded.
I would have been better off buying the machine from Amazon and self testing. Now that it's an official diagnosis, I legally have to report it.
My CPAP machine is the best thing that ever happened to me- couldn’t believe what a difference it made in my quality of life-
You’re on the wrong side of history here , smart trucking-
You haven't watched the entire video my friend. Your are speaking of YOUR own experience, not others. Because it was what you needed, doesn't mean it's what SO MANY drivers are told they need. You've missed the point. Of course sleep apnea is a real thing. It's just being handled poorly. @jrobdickson8498
It's maddening the scams happening.
Just a couple of things.
First, unless it is written into the insurance policy, the driver is a representative of the company and acting on behalf of the company, and under the company's insurance. I don't see how they can shirk the responsibility for mishaps that happen while carrying out the company's business. This seems to be in violation of laws requiring liability insurance. A driver involved in a collision does not have the means to pay off a million dollar judgement. That is the reason for insurance in the first place.
Then there is the issue of the tired old line "can you do me a favor?" I learned long ago, that is the famous Catch-22. The correct answer is "HELL NO!" And, if you give that answer, you go to the bottom of the board and get all of the crud work indefinitely. Why? Because if you don't do it, there are a few other drivers that will do it. However, if something goes wrong, who gets it in the neck? Yep. The driver that did a "favor."
Amazing just how many people are so happy to "help" you with financing. What helpful people that want to lend you money (at a good interest rate of course).
I wouldn’t even trust my own doctor. ALL DOCTORS get a kickback!!! Your doctor WILL steamroll you faster than you think and make EXCUSES just to get that extra bonus.
Schneider put me out of service because I wasn't using it they made me pay for the machine as well quit after a few days after this
These scams have to cease. (LOL) I use a cpap machine prescribed by a "Neurologist in Sleep Medicine" at my local hospital A qualified Medical doctor trumps any degree-by -mail person hired by the trucking company to FORCE you to wear a piece of medical equipment that you DO NOT Need to wear. I would contact my own doctor first and get his okay. Another point is, "If I had to wear a cpap at work, then I would use my own and that would hopefully keep the company out of your private medical history. The Union should be made aware of this. If it would be helpful.
28 events an hour here. I have a cpap in my w9 and one at home. I sleep better, feel better, get up to pee less because i get in the rem mode. If someone wants to look at my sim card i have no problem. Besides, not just anyone can read it.
Sadly we've lost all freedom in anything and everything in this country, our freedom has been slowly chipped away since the late 1800's early 1900's.
Never admit to or consent to sleep apnea test!!
Never reveal any weakness. They will use it against you.
I agree 100 % its a scam
Thanks , Dave ! 👍👍
Wow! Thank you for sharing this! I don't have sleep apnea, but I always fear a doctor will try to label me with it because I'm overweight (another woman trucker I met at my very first trucking job was on permanent pause while waiting for them to get her into a sleep study, simply because the doctor decided her neck was too fat!). However, I have been tempted to just go with it if they did want to give me that label, simply because those with a CPAP machine don't have an idling limit! But heck no I won't do it if it reports my usage back to the company and whoever else! Wow! Is this disclosed to drivers who do have one?! What a breach of privacy!
Thank you for this, certainly a sore subject around here. 😅
My last dot physical I had to bring in a printout of the last 90 days. I had to have used 75% of time.
Schneider literally measures your neck before your 90 day probate period is up to determine if you goto a sleep study or not.
That’s it.
That’s their baseline.
Schneider #1
Schneider tried to force one on me I had to take my own test to prove I didn't have it..the cpap actually caused me to have breathing problems for a while
Schneider driver here. Did it to me.
Facts
By what measure? Crashes? Lease scams ? Pushing for nationwide speed limiters on all trucks? Certainly not for pay!
I got my cpap machine and it changed my life
I had the sleep apnea test done in a reputable place. Despite my loud snoring & very hard to get up in the morning i actually tested negative for sleep apnea.
I use a cpap and its done wonders for me. I have really bad sleep apnea. Doctors only use what you give them, i keep my info private, as we have the right to. My info is between me and my doctor. Never take a test for a carrier.
All a driver has to do is turn the machine on, doesn't even have to wear it, hehehehe company won't know
From being regulated like this and the bad pay being a trucker, NO THANKS, I'll do something else,
I'm a hourly driver and we don't have these regulations.
The carrier's using this to make more money is a joke. That said, Sleep Apnea is not to be messed with. See your personal doctor if you have sleep issues but don't let the trucking company know you have apena, and don't allow them to have anything to do with your machine.
Or simply inform this mega carrier that due to the disruptive nature of these machines you can not get the proper rest and therefore, due to SAFETY PROTOCOL refuse to drive.
Thanks for the info driver! I've been out 28 years and still learn things all the time.
If your own Dr says you need a cpap machine then buy or lease your own machine . If your employer says YOU MUST USE THEIR MACHINE quit and go to work elsewhere because their machine will be either overpriced or used , plus you nor your doctor will likely have access to data recorded ( which if it was FOR YOUR WELLBEING WOULD NOT BE THE CASE ) .
Here, sing it with me....I owe my soul to the company store......
I got diagnosed by talking with family doctor, not a company doctor. I talked to the doc after my wife mentioned how she notices I stop breathing so often while I sleep. I was never forced to buy this machine from a company.
The company I work for still does that, thankfully I tested negative. It felt like an invasion of privy being forced to take the test. Was told if I didn't they would report it and then I couldn't get a job anywhere else that the DoT would old my CDL over it. I blame it on being over weight, I was told if I don't lose weight by my next physical they would test me again.
I used to deliver oxygen cylinders to a sleep study clinic in St Cloud, MN. Saw it for the sham it was.
Another great reason for staying out of this once great industry. So just lie and don't say you snore
That may actually BE the best advice.
i have sleep apnia i fell asleep during a pretrip inspection on the floor of the bus wook up 30 minutes later by a mecanic after 2 months of useing a machine i got my license back now years later i still use the machine and if i forget i notice the diffrence when i wakeup more tired than when i went to sleep
Need a list of companies that DO NOT REQUIRE a sleep study, please and thank you.
The ball grabbing has to stop as well. My last physical I told the Doc if I had a scrotal hernia I would go see my GP and he agreed we didn't need to get that friendly with each other.
Great lighting on this vid. Must of been a nice sunny and windy day or you got some fancy lighting going on for ur vid 😎
There is another device that is approved, less expensive, no mask, etc. I heard about it on KCBS 740 AM or 106.9 FM.
I'm not a trucker but enjoy your program.
Thanks
When I've had this suggested in the past, I have asked if they have statistics on what percentage of people who undergo the sleep test are diagnosed with sleep apnea. My guess is 99%.... A lot of money trades hands whenever you take normal and diagnose it as a disease
Appreciate you bringing attention to issues like these. Thanks!
Yeah, right. Sleep Apnea. If you're over 50 and more than 20 lbs overweight, guess what? "You have sleep apnea!"
I have sleep apnea, I was tested and it turned out that I stopped breathing from snoring as much as 67 times an hour. Snoring is suffocating while you sleep. It is why sometimes you will wake up and hack and cough and go back to sleep. Here in Ontario, you can have your license suspended until you have it under control, which is using a CPAP machine. I used to have a mask, but it was difficult to sleep with, now I use what is called a Nose cushion. It sits right at the bottom of your nostrils and pipes the air into your system. How much has it helped me, I've gone from 67 times or more per hour to maybe 2 over an 8-hour sleep. I've also gone 0 events in a 10-hour sleep. I agree that companies are pushing drivers into something they don't know about. I am so glad I no longer run states side, I work for a mining company hauling aggregates out of a pit and dump at a big construction site. I've had a raise every year since starting there and they are not union. we just had a $2.00 raise last year and a $1.70 raise per hour this year in 2023. I am home every night and enjoy the long weekends with Family and Friends, I get paid on the Monday long weekend for 8 hours, while I enjoy my home time.
These companies that worry about drivers with sleep apnea not getting quality sleep have obviously never run team.
Try the Monroe Clinic in Monroe ( Green County ) Wisconsin the mini Mayo Clinic it’s world famous it is in southwest Wisconsin
In 2020 when I hired on with Schneider they pushed having to take the test, I put of off by until they required it, sent to get wired to a portable device which monitored my sleep and return device next day. Yes I had it mildly, by company program they pushed with loan over$2K, I had my own insurance got everything I needed for around $675 , for the same machine they were going to sell me. Was also put out of service until they had proof of usage for min 4 hours a night for 14 days straight. Be aware once you take the test you will pay in hours of service too!
It took months but I do sleep better with the machine if I don't have a cold or allergies in bloom.
I was rejected my med card and forced off the road due to cpap not scoring above 80%, so I started taking pictures of my cpap machine nightly and found out numbers were changed via the cloud. I'm now retired and on social security and have copd and the doctors are trying to reverse there decisions.
Hard to be well rested when DOT harass drivers at the rest stop
Was told the same. I had to get the cpap before hire. I was unemployed couldn’t afford to see the doctor so I stopped trying to be a truck driver.
The insurance should cover the cost
I have obstructive sleep apnea, and I maintain compliance. Staying compliant is needed for insurance to pay for supplies. as well as treating diagnosed sleep apnea and maintaining a certain percentage of compliance. It is required to keep your DOT card active, assuming you have it listed with your doctor. I don't know about this carrier side hustle.
i love my cpap iam not tired during the day anymore
The Dr. Said my neck was too small for my body. Had to have the test to get my Med. Card. I formally worked in the medical field and had never heard of such or read of such nonsense.
I have it. But I got a mouth guard. No power needed. No distilled water. No replacement nose pad.
THANK GOODNESS I'M RETIRED !!! .... This country is in trouble ...... sad.