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Transportation risk managers and commercial drivers who are trying their best to provide better safer roads are struggling with the complexity of sleep apnea, a disorder that contributes to daytime drowsiness. Such sleep disorders among truckers result in reduced efficiency, absenteeism, accidents and often death.


According to a 2002 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the American Trucking Associations study, among 3.4 million licensed commercial drivers, around 26% of drivers were suffering from some form of sleep apnea. Studies have shown that sleep apnea can severely impact driving performance by radically escalating fatigue and thereby boosting the risk of crashes.

It is more dangerous when a car transporter or a fuel truck transporter is affected with this disease as the damage caused will be more to the public and to the concerned organization. Experts say that though the commercial trucking industry is conscious of the commonness of sleep apnea among drivers, there is still a large amount to be learned in the way the condition is diagnosed, treated and monitored.

FMCSA has required the drivers who are diagnosed with sleep apnea to be "disqualified until diagnosis of sleep apnea is ruled out or has been treated successfully."

According to Christina Cullinan, director of workplace and fleet safety with the ATA, a FMCSA certified medical examiner must eventually decide whether a driver can continue driving or not.

If an inspector decides a driver likely suffers from sleep apnea, a sleep study will be advised, together with the use of a continuous positive airway pressure-or CPAP-machine.

It should be noted the FMCSA gives no guidance on how to recognize commercial drivers at risk for sleep apnea. The administration includes a question on its commercial driver medical certification form that asks particularly about sleep disorders, but it's up to medical examiners to require a trucker to go through a sleep study, or screening.

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The ATA has requested the federal regulators to add more flexibility to the truckers' hours of service rules, but not to cut the daily driving limit of 11 hours

A senior ATA official said that the current rules are working successfully at the first of four Federal Motor Carrier Administration "listening sessions" on trucking hours of service.

"Retain them, but add flexibility to the sleeper berth provision," this was said by Dave Osiecki, senior vice president. He also said that for the last six years the highway safety has enhanced under these rules. The rules were introduced in 2003.

The sleeper berth availability helps the trucker to take an eight-hour break in the truck cab as part of 10-hour rest period which is very much required, while stopping the 14-hour on-duty clock. When a driver starts the trip at 6 a.m., stop at 12 p.m, and take eight hours break, will still have six hours of driving time left, through 2 a.m. the next morning.

The previous Hours of Service (HOS) rules, which dated back to the 1930s, permitted the truck drivers to take break any time. Those rules forced a 10-hour driving limit.

Osiecki has requested FMCSA to give a serious consideration for encouraging circadian friendly sleep and naps by providing flexibility in the sleeper berth provision.

This not only helps the truck drivers to relax themselves but also save the lives of many. So let's hope for a positive reply from FMCSA.

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A driver pre-employment screening program presented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has accomplished a long-sought goal of the American Trucking Associations.

In the month of December, FMCSA announced plans to proffer carriers access to an electronic database of drivers' scrutiny and accident records starting from December. Drivers had to sign an approval form agreeing to allow trucking companies to access the information. It also offers a chance to the drivers to verify and correct their records.

The program allows the hiring companies to look at the accident history of the truck divers before employing them.

Since 2002, American Trucking Associations and the trucking industry has urged FMCSA to offer a bigger access to an applicant's history of roadside driver and vehicle inspections including traffic law violations, and DOT reportable crashes to appraise the driver's past safety performance. The Motor Carrier Management Information System database holds safety event data for about 4 million commercial drivers.

This has helped the trucking companies to hire the safest drivers and thereby saving the lives of many.

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Truck drivers reported that they were already lacking parking amenities in Virginia, mainly for interstate freight movements and therefore closing of any of the existing rest stops was considered by many to be an unsafe move. Dale Bennett, VTA President and CEO commented:

"We applaud Gov. McDonnell for taking these steps to help prevent driver fatigue and provide safe, secure parking spaces for truck drivers to comply with federal hours of service regulations."

Gov. McDonnell said that the gates at closed areas will reopen once the workers reconnect power and water, stock traveler information centers; clean the facilities install vending machines and restore the grounds. The Virginia Department of Transportation has decided to spend $3 million from its maintenance reserve fund to activate the facilities until June 30, and will recognize long-term funding during revisions of budget this spring, a state spokesman said. The state also plans to develop the rest areas and welcome centers to make them more outstanding and inviting

A map of the reopened rest areas is available here.

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The Minnesota Trucking Association proclaimed a year-long effort to provide information and training to its members and their drivers to improve road safety. The "Keep Both Hands on the Wheel" campaign will focus on reducing diverted driving by making the truckers, their employers, contractors and the public to follow safe driving habits.

John Hausladen, president of MTA has said that safety is the trucking industry's chief concern and the MTA members and their drivers are dedicated to continue the statewide trend of increasingly safer roads. Though their members are continually focused on safety and education, in 2010 they are urging truckers to make a specific commitment to 'Keep Both Hands on the Wheel.'

The campaign will encourage drivers to keep away from activities that take their hands off the wheel and divert their concentration. The campaign will feature Web-based courses and in-person training for member companies and drivers. MTA has also decided to provide members, truckers and the general public with tips to stay observant

So let's hope that this Campaign will be a successful one and will lead to safer roads...

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American Trucking Association says LA port can't control truck transport services.

The ATA filed its final response in concise with the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles looking for a summary judgment in it's defy to certain aspects of the Port of Los Angeles clean-truck concession requirements.

ATA alleged that few aspects of the port's concession requirements break the federal pre-emption requirement that block state and local entities from regulating motor carrier rates, routes and services.

ATA stated that the Port of Los Angeles is trying to use its concession necessities to cease a motor carrier's power to provide drayage service in the harbor. ATA also stated that the neighboring Port of Long Beach solved this problem by restoring its clean-truck plan's concession necessities with a registration agreement.

The U.S. District Court has planned to hear the ATA's motion and the port's cross motion for summary judgment on Jan. 11 and the judgment expected shortly after that.

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