Joey Romero, aged 26, who works for Fargo Cargo, went for his required annual physical as a truck driver and he was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing stops and starts while sleeping and causes drowsiness the next day.
He had to spend $2,500 to undergo an expensive sleep study and was told to purchase an AutoPAP machine that was supposed to regulate his breathing, but Romero said that it made no difference.
And Romero is not alone, as many local truck drivers have had to have expensive sleep studies since the federal policy changed last year which affects every trucking company in the state of North Dakota.
Last year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration established a list of doctors who are qualified to conduct physicals for truck or bus drivers after taking an online course.
However, many recommend the sleep apnea tests based solely on the driver’s neck size with different doctors saying the cut off is 16, 17 or 18 inches. Romero was recommended for a study after his neck was measured at 18.5 inches. Some think that many clinics are just trying to make additional money and local trucking companies are outraged with up to 20% of their drivers having to take the test and very few have actually been diagnosed with sleep apnea.
Obviously if a driver does have sleep apnea it can be dangerous to themselves and others on the road but Romero maintains he feels exactly the same whether he uses the machine or not and in addition, given that the mask is uncomfortable, when people first start using it they actually get less sleep as it take a while to get used to.
If you have been injured in an auto accident please call the Bismarck accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C. at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to schedule your free initial consultation.
