Why Commercial Drivers Are Losing Their Jobs
Sleep apnea isn’t just a serious health condition; it’s causing commercial drivers to lose their licenses resulting in reduced employment and millions in lost productivity. A sleep disorder that’s characterized by brief interruptions of sleep, sleep apnea affects nearly one-third of commercial drivers (according to a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania).
With 2.2% of traffic fatalities being attributable to fatigue, it’s easy to understand why the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is concerned about truck drivers getting behind the wheel while drowsy. For drivers, the issues aren’t just their health and safety on the road, but it’s how the current sleep health system is failing commercial drivers in diagnosis and treatment. Drivers face crippling hurdles in getting on a path to better sleep and risk losing their jobs.
Sleep apnea and commercial drivers
One of the most significant symptoms of sleep apnea includes difficulty staying awake, increasing the risk of vehicle accidents of those driving trucks. The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires that motor carriers receive a medical exam to hold a commercial driver’s license, which usually includes screening for sleep apnea risk. If a driver is determined to have risk, they must complete a sleep test to get the determination of a positive or negative diagnosis. If they are positive for sleep apnea and their physician recommends treatment, they must demonstrate they are actively engaged in successful treatment. The DOT will place a driver’s commercial license on hold until they have been successfully treated to maintain safety on the road.
Why does this matter?
The traditional path to diagnosis and treatment for this disorder is long and complicated, often resulting in patients abandoning the process. It involves months of specialist visits and invasive testing, as well as expensive costs. Because drivers are burdened with in-person appointments, in-lab testing, and multiple specialist visits, it’s challenging to address their sleep apnea while keeping their jobs. The current health system will cost the driver in excess of thousands of dollars to diagnosis and treat their sleep apnea along and typically take over three months to complete. When the driver leaves their medical exam, if they have risk, they only have 90 days to get tested and treated, leaving them in a problematic spot. These obstacles result in drivers not completing the process in time to renew their licenses. The impact is both on a personal and national level: people are losing jobs in addition to the increased loss of productivity across the American commercial trucking industry.
How can BetterNight help
BetterNight cares about truck drivers’ health and safety. With our patient-centric approach, drivers can receive diagnosis and treatment without ever leaving home, shaving months off the process. Through providing a national telehealth network, the drivers’ can consult with a treating physician who will order a home sleep test for the driver. The home sleep test is convenient and cost-effective, providing the driver with a test result in just a few days. If a driver is positive for sleep apnea and treatment is recommended, BetterNight will provide a therapy option to the driver. Therapy is supported by a team of clinicians who will help the driver set up and consistently uses their therapy so they can demonstrate appropriate compliance, which is needed to maintain their active license.
Not only is the care process bloated with unnecessary costs and wasted time, but once treated, the driver is often ignored by their servicing therapy provider. This lengthy process leaves them stranded when it comes time to provide the proper care documentation to maintain their license.
For 25 years, BetterNight has been providing industry-leading support for sleep apnea patients and drivers alike. Our patients’ satisfaction and compliance rates lead the industry. BetterNight saves drivers thousands of dollars and months of time addressing a severe health and safety risk. We are proud to help them take care of their health so they can continue to live healthy and safe lives while providing for their families.
For more information about how BetterNight can help truck drivers get on a path to better sleep and keep their jobs, email info@betternight.com or call 1 (866) 801-9440.