CDL physical

[WM75Guy]

Sleep apnea (SA) is often misunderstood. While it occurs during sleep the effects of low oxygen in the blood are damaging to the organs and can effect your health considerably. Many cardiologists and primary care providers now screen for sleep apnea with newly diagnosed hypertension or heart trouble.

Sleep apnea can affect anyone at any age, even children. Risk factors for sleep apnea include:

Male gender
Being overweight
Being over the age of forty
Having a large neck size (17 inches or greater in men and 16 inches or greater in women)
Having large tonsils, a large tongue, or a small jaw bone
Having a family history of sleep apnea
Gastroesophageal reflux, or GERD
Nasal obstruction due to a deviated septum, allergies, or sinus problems

What Are the Effects of Sleep Apnea?
If left untreated, sleep apnea can result in a growing number of health problems including:

High blood pressure
Stroke
Heart failure, irregular heart beats, and heart attacks
Diabetes
Depression
Worsening of ADHD

In addition, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for poor performance in everyday activities, such as at work and school, motor vehicle crashes, as well as academic underachievement in children and adolescents.

As an RN in the Emergency Department if I see patients with snoring respirations or new onset of associated problems I recommend they get screened for SA. The sleep lab is one way as well as pulse oximetry at night. Treatment depends on the cause, it may be surgery, modifying your sleeping position or use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

 

[tommu56]

Just looking at the economics it would be cheaper to buy a CPAP than spend $6,000 for the test, then see how you feel in the morning after wearing the CPAP.
But you might have a lower back ache from the extra $ still left in your wallet.:laughing:

tom

 

[sam5570]

i was reading over these post and didn't see anything about the csa witch is a federal orgination that helps enforce the federal dot laws in 2010 the csa tried to make it mandatrory if your neck measured 7 inches round you would be required to take the sleep test alot of cdl holders in this area was told they had to take the test well long story short the federal court ruled that the csa was not authorized to create or write new laws all they could legally do is inforce the federal dot laws so our company doctors had to stop requiring us to take test.one other thing if you have a class a cdl and a medical card the state cannot require you to do something that is not required in all states.the cdl laws are written by the feds the state just inforces them and collcets the fines and revinew from them ohio has tried several times to reword or rewrite the federal codes but everytime it was chalanged in court the state lost.:confused2:

 

[flyingcow]

My wife who is a school bus driver and gets paid very little went in for a physical and they want her to take a sleep apnea based on noting more then her weight at a cost to her of 6k
to me they have no base for this. checking for a sleep problem this way if like checking a cars spark plugs buy the tire pressure. or checking to see if the test is needed based on race or sex.

unbelievable

I'm not going to read all the replies, so someone may have already made this point. Sleep apnea is a nice little cottage industry for some. Lobbying got this on the radar for DOT physicals. It is a problem for a few, the treatments do work well. But given our overweight problem is the truck driving industry, it's an easy target for the $$$'s. Also, it's another way for the anti-trucking groups to put more pressure on the industry. BTW...her employer should be paying for the test.

 

[RoyJackson]

I'm not going to read all the replies, so someone may have already made this point. Sleep apnea is a nice little cottage industry for some. Lobbying got this on the radar for DOT physicals. It is a problem for a few, the treatments do work well. But given our overweight problem is the truck driving industry, it's an easy target for the $$$'s. Also, it's another way for the anti-trucking groups to put more pressure on the industry. BTW...her employer should be paying for the test.

(Bolded text) Agree 100%...

The folks who will really get screwed on this "requirement" will be the independent owner/operators, if it gets mandated to all CDL holders.

 

[radioman]

Another problem with BMI for women, is er,,, thier time of month. It bloats them up to a false BMI reading.

 

[tcartwri]

BTW...her employer should be paying for the test.

If she's not full time, they probably do not. Most School bus drivers would be considered part time.

 

[QRTRHRS]

My wife is 5'8", weighs 135 and has sleep apnea. The CPAT did not work out for her in that her sinusus get infected. She has been using a dental device for maybe a year now. The dentist takes impressions then has this two part deal molded. The two separate parts are held together with metal brackets. The device snaps onto her teeth and holds her lower jaw out so that there is a gap for air flow.

No snoring, no gasping and lol, no nagging (just kidding).

This thread reminded me that my card expires in February. Though I am not driving for a living these days, I keep up my license and med card just in case. My last physical cost me 50 bucks, I guess that was a bargain after reading some of these threads. I suppose I will keep the hazmat endoresment coming up next November just in case as well.

Way I see it, your employer should be paying for any job related, physical, medical expenses, safety equipment, etc. Else, you just may be working for a cheap skate company and it is never going to get any better.

 

[Duffster]

Way I see it, your employer should be paying for any job related, physical, medical expenses, safety equipment, etc.

I guess I don;t see it that way.

If I hire on as a truck driver or hire a truck driver the truck driver should already have the license and certs needed to do the job.

Now if it simply the company calling for the extra testing it's their job to pay for it.

 

[flyingcow]

(Bolded text) Agree 100%...

The folks who will really get screwed on this "requirement" will be the independent owner/operators, if it gets mandated to all CDL holders.

I am an independent owner operator. i've got my DOT physical coming up soon.