Sleep-medicine services specifically designed for commercial truck drivers will now be available at the nationwide network of health clinics operated by Roadside Medical Clinic + Lab at Pilot Travel Centers. The sleep services will be provided via an agreement with Sleep HealthCenters.
Sleep HealthCenters said it will support Roadside's sleep wellness program by providing education, professional diagnosis and treatment support, all incorporated into Roadside's overall Driver Wellness program.
"You cannot effectively screen, test and treat sleep apnea without addressing and improving drivers' overall health condition, such as weight, BMI, stress and cardiac strength,” pointed out Rob Scheschareg, COO of Roadside. “By providing continuous care for drivers for sleep, fitness, health and DOT compliance from the terminal to the highways. Roadside Medical is able to move the needle towards better driver health. And once the needle starts moving, our clients see an improvement in recruitment, safety, and healthcare spending ROI."
Scheschareg also noted that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has publicly announced a focus on fatigue in commercial drivers, specifically addressing the potential impact of sleep apnea. As a result, he said regulations surrounding these issues are possible.
"From our own estimates, almost three out of 10 truck drivers currently suffer from mild to severe sleep apnea,” said Anne S. Ferro, FMCSA Administrator, at the Sleep Apnea and Trucking Conference held in Baltimore earlier this year. “And we know from our research that drivers with severe sleep apnea are known to be at a much, much greater risk of being involved in a severe crash."
Sleep HealthCenters, based in Massachusetts, operates a network of sleep-medicine centers and clinics. The company currently runs 26 facilities in Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island and is affiliated with academic medical institutions such as Brigham and Women's Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, both in Boston.
Roadside Medical LLC, based in Sarasota, FL, manages a nationwide network of health clinics located at Pilot Travel Centers. It provides DOT certification exams and drug testing, sleep services, medical care, driver wellness programs, and in-terminal facilities for commercial drivers and trucking companies.
