New DOT physical rules

[iamupser]

If the DOT suddenly stops allowing BP meds there is going to be a massive driver shortage real quick.

 

[km3]

Don't mess around with BP
Go see your dr and treated , your family needs you and you'll end up with a stroke ,, the pills take effect quit quickly and you wil need 3 good readings to get the dot card straightened out ,,,
You will now have to go once a year for the dot ,, I've been thru it ,, you'll be fine !!
Don't mess around with BP

It's not an ideal situation. I was going to get this taken care of once my benefits kicked in, which is at the end of May. I didn't expect to be called regarding any driving positions before I reached the one year mark. Now, if I want BP meds I have to pay out of pocket. I am considering it, I just need to figure some other stuff out though. My BP is borderline enough that with meds, it should be no problem. Heck, when I was on TAW I was within DOT specifications for 6 of the 8 times I had my blood pressure taken. I would have been over for the first and the last one.

That's the other thing they said changed. Now it is a 45 day extension then no more. And for technical reasons you can't bump back to part time. Guess you have to be in a laid off status for that. A DOT physical failure won't work. You're just done.

I guess I got my 3 month card just in time. Now I'm in limbo waiting for a road test, though. :/

 

[Indecisi0n]

Reading all these post it sounds like getting old really does suck.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

The whole BMI/Sleep apnea link has been made into an issue now. BMI too high? Sleep study for you.

 

[Packmule]

Reading all these post it sounds like getting old really does suck.

It can suck. And the physical demands of the job, the stress and damage to knees and such, glad I started young. Take it one day at a time now, but worry for younger drivers as to whether or not they'll ever make it long enough to retire. And if it becomes so difficult, will this company continue to attract quality people or die because of an oppressive government beauracracy?

 

[joeboodog]

Let me preface this by saying if you genuinely have sleep apnea, get help. However, I really think most cases are diagnosed to sell c-pap machines. I have had two-week studies done. The first one was set up by a non UPS affiliated ENT physician. The sleep center determined I was clean. Several years later, the facility I went to for my DOT physical no longer was on the UPS network so I had to go to a new place. They measured my neck and surprise surprise, I had to have another sleep test. They wouldn't accept the previous diagnosis and I had to go to their recommended sleep center. They checked my insurance and saw I was covered and surprisingly (not really) I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. What a flipping racket.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

It seems to be a racket. To be fair, my riding buddy is under pressure for this and he is an epic snorer. WE ARE JUST FRIENDS!

 

[silenze]

It seems to be a racket. To be fair, my riding buddy is under pressure for this and he is an epic snorer. WE ARE JUST FRIENDS!

Friends with benefits

 

[badpal]

Let me preface this by saying if you genuinely have sleep apnea, get help. However, I really think most cases are diagnosed to sell c-pap machines. I have had two-week studies done. The first one was set up by a non UPS affiliated ENT physician. The sleep center determined I was clean. Several years later, the facility I went to for my DOT physical no longer was on the UPS network so I had to go to a new place. They measured my neck and surprise surprise, I had to have another sleep test. They wouldn't accept the previous diagnosis and I had to go to their recommended sleep center. They checked my insurance and saw I was covered and surprisingly (not really) I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. What a flipping racket.

What is this sleep apnea thing?

 

[Packmule]

Let me preface this by saying if you genuinely have sleep apnea, get help. However, I really think most cases are diagnosed to sell c-pap machines. I have had two-week studies done. The first one was set up by a non UPS affiliated ENT physician. The sleep center determined I was clean. Several years later, the facility I went to for my DOT physical no longer was on the UPS network so I had to go to a new place. They measured my neck and surprise surprise, I had to have another sleep test. They wouldn't accept the previous diagnosis and I had to go to their recommended sleep center. They checked my insurance and saw I was covered and surprisingly (not really) I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. What a flipping racket.

So does the machine register if you are snoring only, or if you are asleep at all?

 

[joeboodog]

So does the machine register if you are snoring only, or if you are asleep at all?

All the c-pap machine does is blow a steady stream of air through your nose and mouth to keep the air ways open. It does have a memory card in it to record compliance. Once you have been diagnosed, you have to get a report from your machine to give to the doctor that does your DOT physical.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

What is this sleep apnea thing?

Well, joe answered it. Basically, there is a formula they use, and they assume you aren't getting proper rest because of the apnea. Your neck size, your weight, if you snore or not, are a few criteria. The last couple of physicals I had for work, the doctor asked me about it, and I said I'd look into it, but I never did. No way I can sleep with a machine on my face I for sure wouldn't get enough sleep if that was the case. They tried to get me to wear one the last time I was in the hospital. Oh, I tried it to keep them off my back, but I'd wake up, freak out and end up ripping it off my face. Then alarms would go off, it was a mess.

 

[Billy Ray]

All the c-pap machine does is blow a steady stream of air through your nose and mouth to keep the air ways open. It does have a memory card in it to record compliance. Once you have been diagnosed, you have to get a report from your machine to give to the doctor that does your DOT physical.

The new machines transmit the data wirelessly while you are sleeping, in addition to recording the same on an internal memory chip. So when you hit the alarm each morning, they already know your sleep results for the night.

A hundred percent compliance is expected, with a minimum of 4 hours use each night. Not just during the week, every night. You have to carry the cpap with you when you travel.

A dot physical is required every year, and you are treated as if you are the worst possible menace that could be unleashed on the public.

A printout of your usage must be presented to the examiner at the time of your physical.

 

[Billy Ray]

The mask and headgear can be uncomfortable.
It is very difficult having to exhale against positive incoming pressure.

 

[joeboodog]

The mask and headgear can be uncomfortable.
It is very difficult having to exhale against positive incoming pressure.

Also it seems it needs constant adjusting because when in loses its seal in makes a farting noise.

 

[trickpony1]

I would be interested in knowing if these new guidelines are really DOT originated or, perhaps, the idea of our employer to, ultimately, cull the herd.

 

[Alexcross774]

I would be interested in knowing if these new guidelines are really DOT originated or, perhaps, the idea of our employer to, ultimately, cull the herd.

Go to www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ to get the up to date information. The company can't set its own standards for Medical cards. That being said, from someone who deals with this everyday, FMCSA/DOT regulations have three categories: Under-regulated, Over-regulated, and Confusing as .

 

[Mugarolla]

I would be interested in knowing if these new guidelines are really DOT originated or, perhaps, the idea of our employer to, ultimately, cull the herd.

It was originated by the FMCSA. The same agency that required you to have 2 consecutive periods off between 1 am and 5 am in order to reset your DOT hours. This requirement has been lifted but was an inane requirement in the first place.

The FMCSA actually required a sleep study for anyone with a BMI of 35 or over and a neck size of 18 or bigger, but was overruled by Congress.

They wanted a study done to see if the benefits outweighed the cost of the testing.

So right now, they are just "guidelines" published by the FMCSA , but the DOT licensed doctors are threatened with a $10K fine if they certify someone who subsequently has an accident and should have had a sleep test done based on the doctors medical judgement and the DOT guidelines at the time of the physical.

If your BMI is 35 or over, if your neck is 18 inches or bigger, or if you tell the doctor you snore, be prepared for a sleep test. The doctors are covering their butts.

The FMCSA leaves it up to the doctors medical judgement, but has guidelines and the threat of a fine to keep the doctors in line.

 

[Packmule]

The new machines transmit the data wirelessly while you are sleeping, in addition to recording the same on an internal memory chip. So when you hit the alarm each morning, they already know your sleep results for the night.

A hundred percent compliance is expected, with a minimum of 4 hours use each night. Not just during the week, every night. You have to carry the cpap with you when you travel.

A dot physical is required every year, and you are treated as if you are the worst possible menace that could be unleashed on the public.

A printout of your usage must be presented to the examiner at the time of your physical.

How right you are. Few years back when I went in an inmate from county jail was brought in in chains and under officer escort. Through the open door across the hall I watched my DOT Doctor greet the guy all very nice and respectful, while I as you say, felt I got treated like a menacing criminal.
The only way this trend is going to turned around is by commercial drivers uniting and raising all kinds of political hell with the DOT.

 

[silenze]

You should look into a good ear nose and throat dr. They have ads on the radio about Balloon Sinuplasty and the pillar procedure. They both claim to open your airway and stop snoring without the cpap machine.