Question
I was talking with a driver ( ex driver) that told his doctor that he snored. That cost him his CDL. The doc said that was part of sleep apnea and he could fall asleep at the wheel. I asked if any testing was done and he said no. He said the doctor based it soley on the statement of the driver.
Can this really happen and is snoring part of sleep apnea? There is no snooze button
on a cat that wants breakfast.
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I have a friend who drives for not so swift, he uses a cpap machine for his apnea. This sounds like a "I swear to god this happened" story.
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When I worked for Reichman Transport we had a driver that had one fastened to his truck. Company truck no less.
glad I just snore There is no snooze button
on a cat that wants breakfast.
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When a medical examiner is reviewing the medical history questionairre part of the DOT physical with the driver, any "YES" answer in the area regarding sleep habits will prompt further evaluation.
Note that I said "FURTHER EVALUATION"! Any examiner who flat out fails a driver for this ought to read the regulations a bit better.
Now if the driver ONLY reported snoring as a problem, the examiner should have given the driver a limited card (3-6 months) and asked the driver to have a sleep study done). Once the sleep study was completed, the driver should bring those results to the examiner and a long term decision would be based on that sleep study report.
If the driver reported more than snoring, the driver may have been deemed disqualified until a sleep study was done.
That's how it's handled at our facility and with most larger companies that we work with.Visit us at
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Thanks Nurse Red
I guess the driver left out some important info when he talked to me.
I snore but don't have a sleep problem. Only require about 5-6 hrs sleep and I 'm ready for a full day. Better half says I take 3 deep breaths and I'm snoring. lol
I think when a person does sleep over the steering wheel that they put it in the sub consious and then if a little tired they can fall asleep at the wheel.
I have conditioned myself to sleep just about every where except behind the wheel on any vehicle.
We run team, so long hours behind the wheel are very seldom.
I do take my CDL seriously.
Again, Thanks Nurse Red, You do a great service here. There is no snooze button
on a cat that wants breakfast.
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If you need an immediate loss of income & possibly your job, by all means tell the Doc you snore, or don't sleep well. Tell a lie & continue your current level of lifestyle. Tell the truth & you can kiss those car & house payments goodbye. Why. It is so easy to not make those payments when your loss of income can be attributed to the truth. I have a lot of respect for Nurse Red & enjoy her posts that have helped me in the past. That said, Nurse Red & I are at opposite ends on this one. You can talk & think about all the Laws & Reg's you might be breaking. But the bottom line is you still need to provide for your loved ones, which becomes more difficult in the un-employment line.
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Driver's Daily Log's message board recently had a thread on this subject.
A driver posted that he had to go through several sleep studies at 6 month intervals because he stated that he snored on his DOT Phys. None of this ($1,000 per study) was covered by his insurance.
The driver reported that he found out that the doctor involved was receiving a 10% "referral fee" from the office performing the sleep studies.
I'm not inferring anything untoward, just reporting what was stated on another site as an example of what this sleep apnea issue can lead to.
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I guess if you are more concerned over your income and current lifestyle than you are about your health AND the safety of everyone else on the road with you...THEN LIE!
It's very hard to continue your current lifestyle when you ARE DEAD because you fell asleep behind the wheel. Or you have been fired AND SUED because YOU KILLED a family of six in a minivan when you fell asleep at the wheel.
YUP, just go ahead and follow that advice. Go ahead and lie.
If you think the accident investigators can't figure out that you fell asleep at the wheel then think again. If you think they won't figure out that you falsified your application and medical exam, go ahead and take that gamble.
But if you truly care about your health, continued income for you and your loved ones and the safety of everyone who drives near you every day, answer honestly, get the testing you need, follow the advice of your physician and feel better in more ways thasn one.
As for the Dr. who is getting the 10% kickback, this is SOOOOOOO illegal. If it is true and you can prove it, please report him to the Board of Physician Quality Assurance in that state. They are accessible via the internet and he/she will be investigated.Visit us at
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Most but not all DOT Physical's performed by a Physician in a clinical setting are paid for by the Company doing the hiring or re-certification. Most of these Physicals are lacking in quality & in depth of a detailed physical. How about doing Physical's on Truck Drivers just like they do for a Pilot flying left seat on a 777 for United. Not only are these Flight Physicals detailed & through they cost a whole lot more than a driver’s physical. Other than pissin in the bottle, taking your blood pressure, making sure you can read an Eye Chart, & asking you some questions, which they have no idea if your answer is true or not, these physicals are a insult to the definition of " Physical Exam ". Nurse Red I imagine you do a very through & detailed physical on drivers that wish to use your professional services. And my belief in this subject is this; any driver especially a Owner Operator who requests a Physical from you & your staff have never met this driver before. You do not have any detailed Medical History about this driver. You find all the tests you perform are borderline but within the guidelines set down by the Fed's. You issue a 2-year certificate. If the driver lied or has a past medical problem he forgot to mention, the service you properly performed under the Legal Guidelines was a waist of time. All it produced was a Letter size forum & a Wallet size card that says I can go trucking. Next driver comes in for a physical. You flunk him for High Blood Pressure. He does not like being flunked. He goes to a doctor. Dock gives him some Blood Pressure Medicine samples. 1 Week later he goes to a different doctor BP readings are in line & he or she gets to go trucking for 2 years. Another insult to the definition of a ‘ DOT Physical ’. When the Exams are as through as a pilots, when the Medical History follows the driver each time he Physical’s, when blood is drawn, when EK’G, Cardiogram’s & other specific tests are performed to weed out drivers who might not be fit to drive, then will I have respect for a ‘ Physical Exam ’. In the mean time I will do my best to not kill some one as you mentioned. As for the investigators finding out you lied, it is to late for that avenue, the damage is done. Prevention failed.
The comments made by Dagwood on this site are provided "as is" and without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. I disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
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Sure wish I woulda read this a day earlier.....
Seriously, I have been using a CPAP machine for 8 years and have passed physicals every time, even though I told the truth.
Now, apparently, things have changed.
On my pre-employment physical yesterday, I told the truth and was advised that I now will have to take a Sleep Study to pass the physical from now on and will have to be tested every year. When I called to set up the study, I was told that the study, which consists of sitting in a chair for 20 minutes while hooked up to a computer to see if you fall asleep, costs about $2000.
Nurse Red, have you heard of this? I was told this is a new DOT requirement, if it is, I am done trucking.
Spirit
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I would also like to know if anyone has heard of them making it a REQUIREMENT, as far as I knew the DOT was still just making recommendations conserning sleep apnea. I have searched the DOT website and called a field office. They said no regs. yet, but I have gotten wrong answers from gov. officals before.
But some companies are starting to require more, proably from fear of lawsuits. J.B. Hunt is one that I know of personally.
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Went for my recert today and the doc asked me if I had trouble sleeping. I told him no, asked if I got tired, said only after a full day or if I can't get a full nights sleep due to lack of time. I told him I sleep fine at night, don't fall asleep while sitting in chairs or anyplace where I shouldn't. Told him my sinuses have been acting up for weeks though. He puts down that he recomends an evaluation for possible OSA. But gave me a cert for 2 years. How will this affect physicals from now on?
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Back to the top for a possible answer. Thanks
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After our negative experience with these docs that do the worthless DOT physcial (I'm in agreement with Dagwood on this), my husband will continue to get a complete and thorough DOT physical by our primary physician.
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Hi Folks,
I do not have any info on the snoring question. I would like to say please do not take the advise to lie about any condition that you may have both for your sake and the avg joe four wheelers sake.
When I first applied at my current employer I was put on Medical Hold because of me having type 2 diabetes. I had been told three months earlier about having diabetes. Now if I had lied about that, and had an accident and hurt someone. any good lawyer could probally get it in to court that i had lied on the phyisical form.
It only took me one extra week to go to work. Plus I am covered all the way around. My Company knows up front about my condition. So if I have any problems in the future with being ill,etc. the company knows it is ture and keeps them off my back.
Just remember honesty is the best policy.
Mike.