SLEEP APNEA EFFECT ON TRUCK DRIVERS – IS IT THE UNSEEN DANGER?
IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH IN THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY
Rarely does the trucking industry talk about the health and mental effects this industry has on their most valuable players – truck drivers. So we decided to put out at least one publication a month regarding these issues. We want to help spread this awareness and tackle these issues because drivers safety is always the number 1 concern.
SLEEP APNEA AND IT’S EFFECT ON TRUCK DRIVERS
Today we are going to talk about sleep apnea, it is a disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or shallow breathing during sleep.
It can lead to daytime drowsiness, which can be dangerous for truck drivers who operate heavy vehicles on the road. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued guidelines for the screening and treatment of sleep apnea for commercial drivers, including truck drivers. Drivers with moderate to severe sleep apnea must be treated and cleared by a medical professional before they can return to driving.
Let’s take a look at those guidelines.
The FMCSA recommends that truck drivers who have symptoms of sleep apnea, such as loud snoring, gasping for air during sleep, and daytime drowsiness, be evaluated by a healthcare professional who is trained in sleep medicine. If a driver is diagnosed with sleep apnea, they must be treated before they can return to driving.
TREATMENT
Treatment options include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, which uses a machine to deliver air pressure through a mask worn during sleep to help keep the airway open, and oral appliances, which reposition the jaw and tongue to help keep the airway open. Drivers who are treated for sleep apnea must also be recertified by a medical professional every year to ensure that the treatment is working and that the driver is able to safely operate a commercial vehicle. The FMCSA also requires that medical examiners (MEs) who conduct the medical examination for commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders to be trained in identifying the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea and to refer drivers who may have the condition for further evaluation. It is important to note that in addition to the FMCSA’s guidelines, individual states may have their own laws and regulations regarding sleep apnea and commercial drivers.
In addition to the treatment and certification requirements for drivers with sleep apnea, the FMCSA also encourages employers of commercial drivers to educate themselves and their employees about the risks of sleep apnea, and to take steps to identify and refer drivers who may have the condition for evaluation. Some trucking companies have implemented screening programs for sleep apnea, and may even provide treatment options for their employees. This not only helps to ensure that their drivers are healthy and fit to drive, but also can be beneficial for the company, as untreated sleep apnea can lead to increased healthcare costs and absenteeism. Also, it is important to note that, Drivers who are treated for sleep apnea and have not had any symptoms after treatment are considered to have a “well-controlled” sleep apnea and are not subject to any restrictions. However, if a driver is not compliant with treatment or continues to have symptoms, they may be subject to a restriction on their CDL, such as a requirement to use a CPAP machine while driving, or a restriction on the type of driving they are allowed to do.
THE BOTTOM LINE!
Overall, sleep apnea is a serious condition that can impact a truck driver’s ability to operate a commercial vehicle safely. It is important for truck drivers, trucking companies, and medical professionals to be aware of the risks and to take appropriate steps to address the issue.
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HOW MUCH DO TRUCK DRIVERS MAKE DECEMBER 2022 – EARNINGS & SALARY
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TANKER ENDORSEMENT
Have you ever wondered how much money you would make working an OTR truck driving job? This profession has been growing exponentially every year, and more and more people are opting for it due to the various flexible options it entails. As a truck driver recruiting agency we have a great insight into what rewards could one reap working as a truck driver. So let’s see what salary do truck drivers make. Updated in December 2022.
Let’s take a look at the numbers overall.
How Much Exactly Does a CDL Class A Truck Driver Make?
Over The Road or OTR Drivers usually make money through a Cent Per Mile model – so for example, if you drive the truck for 3000 miles in a week and get 75 cents per mile, that would approximately make your salary $2,250 per week. This is solid money, considering how CPM rates have been lower in the past.
Nonetheless, there is a little more technicality to it; for instance, experienced Class A CDL drivers earn more than fresh out of school drivers. To get to that 75 CPM bracket you’d have to have at least 2 years of OTR experience. Drivers who are just starting their career fresh out of school might be offered as little as 40 cents per mile for the first few months. Then gradually move to 50 CPM and so on. Similarly, it also depends on the industry a truck driver is working for – a driver working for an aeronautical sector will likely get paid more than one working with general dry van freight.
Other Impacts on How Much Money Truck Drivers Make Include
Type of trailer you pull – Dry van and reefer are usually on par in terms of salary, tho in most instances reefer will be paid 0.05 cents per mile more than a dry van. However, flatbed and tanker drivers will of course earn more money ie. Flatbed driver can make 85-90 cents per mile in the climate where dry van driver makes 65 cents per mile.
Endorsements you have – Having endorsements on your CDL will improve your salary potential anywhere from 0.05 CPM to 0.20 CPM. If you want to learn more about endorsements here are a couple of links: TANKER endorsement, HAZMAT endorsement.
Area you live in – truck drivers from the west coast will usually have a tougher time finding high CPM jobs because of the fact that the company will make less money when he goes on home time and gets back on the road due to the west coast not having high paying loads.
Additionally, drivers who have to bear harsher conditions are paid higher than drivers working on convenient and hassle-free routes.
Cent Per Mile Rates [DECEMBER 2022]
There is no limitation to the cent per mile rates – we keept witnessing an increment year on year; the CPM rate for Dry Van Trailers from January to March 2020 was 60, then it increased to 65 in April till June, and sat at 70 CPM till the end o 2021. In December of 2022 average CPM for dry van is 65 cents per mile.
In comparison, for reefer trailers, the CPM rates are slightly higher. It was 65 cents from January to March, then it got bumped to 70 CPM in April, and it remained as so till June, and has now been increased to 75 CPM. Reefer in December 2022 stands at 70 CPM
Let’s give you a statistical perspective ranging from 2500 miles to 3500 miles for both dry van drivers and reefer trailer drivers.
If you start working as a dry van driver and bring in 2500 miles at 65 cents, which is the current allotted rate, you will earn $1,625 in a week. In comparison, if you pull reefer and run 3500 miles at 70 cents, you will make approximately $2,625 per week.
THE BOTTOM LINE!
CDL Class A Truck Drivers can earn a decent living working this tough job, whether by working for private fleets or significant sectors, and truck driver recruiting agencies like Employal ensure that they provide solid staffing solutions to the people they have on board. The CPM system implemented works in favor of these truck drivers who, on average, weigh in $70,000 to $80,000 per year.
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Bigger Paycheck or Home Time? With Poll Results
We are always trying to improve employee satisfaction in the companies we work with by improving the understanding between trucking companies and their employees.
Of course, things are simpler when it comes to mechanics, safety or any other office job and they get more complicated when it comes to driving positions. The biggest reason is the fact that truck drivers do almost all of the legwork while everyone else gets to wake up in their comfy bed. Well since COVID-19 we’ve even seen a lot of office jobs being performed from home.
What do you think is more important to truck drivers, more home time or a bigger paycheck? Well, we’ve decided to create a poll and ask, so without further ado here is the result.
One of the more important aspects, or the most important aspect as we learned, of a trucking job is home time. In the poll that we made with 1500 truck drivers from various states and job positions home time is more important to the majority of truck drivers while the pay is the key aspect for 29% of drivers.
The results are below.
Our next poll will cover driver preferences in terms of Local, Regional & OTR so stay tuned!
Keep your mental and physical health in shape, stay safe and keep trucking!
Looking for work? Join Employality today and let us take care of your driving career.