The Minnesota DOT has decided on a survey to decide if a trucker is "fatigued" or not. A bunk that wasn't made is a point against you. The PRESENCE of a CPAP machine, according to the article I read, was a point against you. Many of the items in the survey had no medical proof to back them up.
   A truckers organization has filed a lawsuit over this.

rat

Given the political nut-case leaders in the state, I don't find this surprising.

So these are unannounced sleeper inspections? Seems that a warrant would be needed.  A man's house is his castle, even if it is a bunker on the rig.

As to making the bed, didn't Oscar Madison live longer than Felix Unger?


_________________
Steve Bukosky
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Questioning authority is no better exercised than with the medical community.

ResMed S8 Autoset II EPR/ 4i humidifier
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"So these are unannounced sleeper inspections? Seems that a warrant would be needed"

   According to the article I read, a trucker was at a weigh station, and was asked to voluntarily take a survey. Trying to be helpful, he took it. They took him out of service even though he had hours left on his legal allotment of time.
   Having a messy bunk was held against him. (It's time for slobs, and I am one of them, to unite!) Having an empty food container in the bunk area was a point against you.

   As stated, a truckers association, not just one trucker, has filed a lawsuit.

   Much has been written in these forums about apnea and truck driving. When apnea hit me terribly last year, I made the call to stop driving the 2 to 4 ton truck I was using at work.

rat

Check out the OOIDA   Land Line Now  web site.

A copy of the actual checklist is available .. it lists things like..

Do you have a CPAP? - yep... have you been diagnosed with sleep apnea is another..

they also list height/weight neck size  do you snore.. they are trying to make a amateur diagnosis of OSA.

It gets better.. The guy who came up with the system claims his officers are better at diagnosiing fatigue than a sleep doctor.

Look for the special feature at the bottom.. There is the transcript of the three part special they ran on-air on the MN program.  Late news today (Fri 6-12) is that IA and IN have either started or are currently training officers in this bogus fatigue assessment.

Truck sleeper berths may be "inspected" at any time with out a warrant to ensure compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

We truckers live in a world where the size of our bed and how many hours we have to be in it are regulated. Random road side "inspections", random drug and alcohol tests are all part of our work environment.


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Just a truck driver with sleep apnea

TD, Thanks for the additional info. Orwell was right, he just got the year wrong <g>. There have been many people victimized by quasi-experts. I saw a show where a guy had been accused of burning down his own house. The "experts" in the investigation got so many things wrong, it would have been comical had not an innocent human being been jailed for ten months.
   The government can decide if you are fatigued or not. By using bogus science. Be afraid, very afraid.
   BTW, the OOIDA magazine is where I probably read about this.

rat

Some solid logic in that test, typical MN though. I wounder if they would count using caffeine against you as well. Turkey is supposed to make you sleepy, maybe they can pull you over after eating a turkey sandwich too.

Just read the list, that is truly ridiculous.