Becoming a trucker with sleep apnea

by Robert M.
(Jacksonville FL)

Trucking with sleep apnea

I want to become a trucker, but I have sleep apnea. I have a machine that I use nightly and its under control. I was hoping to find out if you have to get a sleep study done every 12 months?

Some people say that they do and others just take a printout showing that they use the machine.

I don't have insurance so if I need a study its gonna cost as much or more than the training and I can only afford one or the other.

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May 13, 2014
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Little White Lie
by: Robert M.

I have to admit. I am 6 foot 4 and weigh 340. There is no way they wouldn't order a sleep study. In my case it would be better to just tell the truth.

May 13, 2014
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Little white lie
by: NickV

When they ask you if you have sleep apnea tell them no and then just take your machine onto the truck when you start. Also if you've had any surgeries, keep it to yourself. Anything that has happened to you and you tell them about it they will pull you from training/orientation til you are cleared by your physician/surgeon/therapist, whatever. What they don't know won't hurt them and anything they can't find on a background check is best kept to yourself. HOWEVER, most companies do extensive physicals now. Your going to take a physical no matter what but depending on the company will depend on it's severity. If you have sleep apnea they have ways to make it diagnosable I.e. Neck size, weight, height. They have a mathematic way of figuring out body mass to all of this and then they will tell you have to go get a sleep study or in my case give you a 6 month medical card instead of a year or two and have you come back and see if you've cleared it up a little. If you've made progress they will give you another 6 months or maybe a year. Most companies (bigger) are so anal now it's harder to get in. Hope this helped and if you got anything else just ask

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