American Thoracic Society Journal news tips for August 2004 (second issue)

Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Commerical Drivers

In an effort to develop a simpler test to identify commercial truck drivers who suffer from severe sleep apnea and who might fall asleep at the wheel, medical investigators have developed a two-stage strategy combining questions about the symptoms of sleep apnea, with body weight data, plus a test for oxygen concentration in the blood when needed. From this combination, they produced a predictive rate of 91 percent for the disorder. To develop their new test, researchers studied 406 commercial drivers in order to uncover cases of sleep apnea before a crash.

What’s with that “before a crash” line? It’s scary enough already to think there are 28% of truck drivers with sleep apnea.

Utilizing a level of five or more sleep apnea episodes per hour to define any apnea, 114 drivers were shown to be affected by mild to moderate apnea; in addition, 19 drivers had 30 or more episodes per hour to demonstrate severe sleep apnea.

Out of 406 drivers, 133 drivers with some degree of sleep apnea. Meaning 33% had the possiblity of nodding off while working driving.

According to the authors, sleepiness accounts for between 31 to 41 percent of the major crashes of commercial vehicles. In 2001, large trucks were involved in 429,000 crashes. Nearly 5,000 were fatal.

I wouldn’t doubt those numbers at all. It’s probably an educated guess, I think it’s probably more. Most drivers aren’t going to admit they were falling asleep during the middle of the day. They were distracted or something else was probably the excuse given.

The researchers said that the simplest strategy they employed depended first on responses to questions about three apnea-related symptoms. Then they looked at body mass index (BMI) data because obesity is a major obstructive sleep apnea factor. In addition, they examined a risk score that combined information about symptoms with BMI as well as about age and sex. When they added oximetry to measure oxygen level in the blood, the test was 91 percent sensitive. If oximetry was not employed, it was 81 percent predictive. They called their new tool the multivariable apnea prediction index. The study appears in the second issue for August 2004 of the American Thoracic Society’s peer-rerviewed American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

PATT should be pushing this to be on the DOT physicals instead of the agenda they now have. It may not completely rule out a sleep center but it sounds quicker then spending the night somewhere and could be included in a routine physical.

If you haven’t already, check out the other sleep apnea post.

Eyewitness News 11.com: Truck Driver Shortage Increases Prices — And Job Opportunities

Faced with a shortage of drivers, some trucking companies are charging more to move merchandise– costs passed onto you and me. The shortage is delivering a blow to the consumers, but a boon to people who are willing to make the long hauls.

The driver shortage is causing companies to offer better pay and benefits. Drivers can start at $35,000… eventually make $70,000 to $100,000 a year with overtime.

Anyone except for unions get overtime? I’m pretty sure that pay scale is union too. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn’t reflect the rest of the industry.

I’m still seeing the same ads for the same crappy wages. Especially for people just starting out. Bonus’s that are spread out over a year or more. I’m just a lowly owner operator but I still keep an eye on wages that companies offer and the rates they offer to owner operators and they havent’ moved much in several years. I’m not impressed by what’s everyone is offering.

Worse, it’s still the same pennies per mile. How about a salary? How about hourly? How about all those hours sitting on the dock? How about more companies offering overtime? Driver shortage must not be that bad. They’re still trying to fix it with the same crap, they think different people are listening now and the rest of us are too stupid.

Small update - I have been hearing ads from a few companies that are advertising a raise in salaries. Salaries (including o/o’s) are beginning to inch up.

And check this out -

Truckload Profits Rise Despite Driver Issues

Many truckload carriers said profits pushed higher during the second quarter despite a lingering inability to find and retain drivers that prohibited fleet expansion in spite of high demand for freight-hauling services.

Of the 13 publicly traded carriers that posted earnings for the three months ended June 30, most reported strong gains and some said the high demand for their services allowed them to increase freight rates. Analysts and fleets said the current market trends should continue through this year, allowing carriers to trim less profitable lanes and customers.

]]> http://truckingblog.net/more-bogus-shortage/feed http://truckingblog.net/safety-groups-against-mexian-trucks http://truckingblog.net/safety-groups-against-mexian-trucks#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Wayne Weisser http://truckingblog.net/?p=101

Groups say U.S.-Mexican safety discrepancies should delay border

WASHINGTON — There are “significant differences” between Mexican and U.S. highway safety laws that need to be addressed before the border opens, according to a Public Citizen press release issued Aug. 13.

Six areas mentioned in the release include: Commercial Driver’s License requirements; alcohol and drug testing systems; hazmat transport; Mexico’s alleged lack of a motor carrier “information database”; compliance with U.S. safety standards; and insurance verification.

“The Group of the Insane” might be good for something.

According to the release, compliance with U.S. drug and alcohol testing standards can’t be “ensured under the current system because the U.S. government hasn’t determined whether drug and alcohol testing facilities in Mexico meet U.S. standards.”

The release also stated that it is unclear how Mexican drivers will meet new hazmat security rules and whether U.S. enforcement officials will have ready access to data about Mexican drivers’ CDLs, driving history or operating authority.

The release by Public Citizen also was signed by the Center for Auto Safety; the Consumer Federation of America; Parents Against Tired Truckers; and the Trauma Foundation.

“The Group of the Insane” keeps getting larger. Maybe they’ll be so busy with this they’ll leave the HOS issue alone. That’s wishful thinking.

]]> http://truckingblog.net/safety-groups-against-mexian-trucks/feed http://truckingblog.net/highway-fatality-stats-get-spun http://truckingblog.net/highway-fatality-stats-get-spun#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:00:00 +0000 Wayne Weisser http://truckingblog.net/?p=100

Claybrook: highway fatality statistics get ’spin’

Claybrook, in a release issued Aug. 10, stated that the “historic low” in highway deaths, an .8 percent reduction from 2002, was only part of a steady historic decline — 46 percent between 1982 and 2002, and not really news.

The number of highway deaths for 2003 was the lowest since record keeping began 29 years ago; although the number of fatalities involving large trucks grew slightly, from 4,939 to 4,986, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

NHTSA’s “latest spin also downplays the real news in the numbers — that 42,643 people lost their lives on the road last year,” Claybrook said.

Claybrook maintained that the Department of Transportation had done an “about face.” She said that NHTSA Administrator Dr. Jeffrey Runge in 2003 said a declining death rate was not cause for celebration and predicted highway fatalities could reach 50,000 annually by the year 2008.

Now, however, “the emphasis has shifted to death rates rather than real numbers,” Claybrook said.