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This is no different than other big brother options the truckers are forced to contend with, gps tracking, that black box that records every change of gears, how long you idle, speed etc. At one time truckers took the job for freedom from bosses looking over their shoulder, not so much now...

AlabamaAl wrote:This is no different than other big brother options the truckers are forced to contend with, gps tracking, that black box that records every change of gears, how long you idle, speed etc. At one time truckers took the job for freedom from bosses looking over their shoulder, not so much now...

Yes I know all about that. Husband's truck uses one. The point I was trying to make is that in our own homes we need to be free of Big Brother! A trucker on cpap and sleeping in their home should not be monitored!. If they're OTR and sleeping in the truck then I guess there's no choice if the company demands it. If they drive a day cab and sleep at home then they shouldn't be monitored. It's no different than anyone else with a job! Who says a guy working construction can't get drunk or stoned after work and stay out till 2am and then go to work the next day half crocked? Maybe same scenario with a postal worker driving a local truck. Or let's take drugs and alcohol out of the equation. What if these same people now simply have sleep apnea and aren't compliant? Are they getting monitored? Probably not!

postitnote wrote:What if these same people now simply have sleep apnea and aren't compliant? Are they getting monitored? Probably not!

Actually in some countries they do monitor (to some extent) even us regular drivers with sleep apnea and if patients aren't compliant they can report non compliance and those drivers can lose their drivers licenses. Canada is one and I am pretty sure there are other countries who at least try to have that standard for all sleep apnea patients. How well it is actually policed I don't know.

I hear what you are saying though and I understand the frustration with the double standard but it is what it is and we have to live with it.
My husband is an over the road truck driver too and while his company doesn't do the modem thing for their drivers...they do periodically pull compliance usage reports to make sure that their drivers who have sleep apnea on their DOT medical cards are abiding by the usage requirements that are part of the job requirements.
It's a job requirement...and if someone wants to work with so and so company then they have to abide by any job requirement rules and regulations no matter what they are.

It is not so much about Big Bother (spelling intentional), but about safety.
Many do not need to be monitored; they do not want to be responsible for highway mayhem;
But a few rotten apples don't seem to give a squat if they kill somebody.
Their negligence determines the standard.

postitnote wrote: . If they drive a day cab and sleep at home then they shouldn't be monitored.... What if these same people now simply have sleep apnea and aren't compliant? Are they getting monitored? Probably not!

you, frankly, are a moron, with no concept of public safety.

hell, why even bother making them take any kind of training classes and pass tests, just give 'em the keys and turn 'em loose!

palerider wrote:

postitnote wrote: . If they drive a day cab and sleep at home then they shouldn't be monitored.... What if these same people now simply have sleep apnea and aren't compliant? Are they getting monitored? Probably not!

you, frankly, are a moron, with no concept of public safety.

hell, why even bother making them take any kind of training classes and pass tests, just give 'em the keys and turn 'em loose!

And you get off on bullying people who don't agree with you or call you out. You can be rude as well. I'll still talk to you but probably never take you seriously.

Pugsy wrote:

postitnote wrote:What if these same people now simply have sleep apnea and aren't compliant? Are they getting monitored? Probably not!

Actually in some countries they do monitor (to some extent) even us regular drivers with sleep apnea and if patients aren't compliant they can report non compliance and those drivers can lose their drivers licenses. Canada is one and I am pretty sure there are other countries who at least try to have that standard for all sleep apnea patients. How well it is actually policed I don't know.

I hear what you are saying though and I understand the frustration with the double standard but it is what it is and we have to live with it.
My husband is an over the road truck driver too and while his company doesn't do the modem thing for their drivers...they do periodically pull compliance usage reports to make sure that their drivers who have sleep apnea on their DOT medical cards are abiding by the usage requirements that are part of the job requirements.
It's a job requirement...and if someone wants to work with so and so company then they have to abide by any job requirement rules and regulations no matter what they are.

I'm fortunate that hubby is healthy and breezes through his physicals. It just gets me we have HIPPA laws that keep a priest (just one example) from finding out who in his church is in hospital but some company can listen to people sleep. The government stifles things that are important to some people and then spies on us via the internet and cell phones.

Yes, it sounds good, but there are problems.

First they came for the truckers
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trucker.
Then they came for the old people
and I did not speak out
because I was not old.
Then they came for the fat people
and I did not speak out
because I was not fat.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

Trite, I know, but we're all under the eye of big brother.

-Make the truck drivers record their driving hours. Sounds good to me.
-Make them all get a health screening.
-Make them all get apnea tests.
-Monitor their CPAP data real time.
-Make them wear a "fitbit" and track their sleep hours by movement, even if they don't have apnea.
-Add a GPS and record when they are at a bar.
-Use the GPS to check whether they're speeding.
-Maybe add an alcohol sensor.
-Add drug sensors as the technology becomes available.
-Maybe all car drivers should have to have a yearly health screening too.
-Start adding in all the truck driver requirements to the car drivers.
-You know, being overweight makes you less attentive and more prone to nap, let's add restrictions on the fatties.
-Maybe blood tests to see that you're not eating too much fatty foods.
-You really need to exercise to stay healthy and alert, let's use the fitbit to check that all of these dangerous drivers are getting their daily exercise.
-Let's check their credit cards to make sure they're not eating too many cheeseburgers.
-You know, they've all got smart internet connected watches with GPS, microphones, acceleration sensors, and cameras. Let's use them to check up on their driving related heath habits.
-Now that we're all on government healthcare, we need to monitor your health habits to cut back on costs.
-Let's track everyone's driving real time with GPS and ticket them if they speed.
-We can use the microphone and voice recognition built into their watches to be on the watch for terrorists and child abuse.
-Now that we're collecting all this information for terrorism prevention, we don't need a warrant to examine it for other legitimate purposes.
-Maybe we should have cameras and license plate readers and track people wherever they go. No wait, they're already doing that.

"All persons whom we bring to this place are washed clean Winston. The execution of their sentences is relatively unimportant. By the time we have finished with them there is nothing left in them but sorrow for what they have done and love for Big Brother. It is touching to see how they love Big Brother."

OK a bit trite, but Big Brother IS growing all the time. You may think it's good when he's benevolent, but do you really think all the future governments are going to be benevolent?

postitnote wrote:And you get off on bullying people who don't agree with you or call you out. You can be rude as well. I'll still talk to you but probably never take you seriously.

fair enough, I can't take you seriously when you say that people with known medical conditions that impair their ability to do their jobs safely should be given carte blanche to do whatever they want, and endanger the lives of others.

do you feel the same about drinking and driving that you do about being able to drive truck after choking all night long with OSA?

if not, why not?

postitnote wrote: some company can listen to people sleep.

nobody is "listening" to anybody sleep.

a compliance report saying that someone had 3 hours of therapy last night is HARDLY "listening to them sleep".

postitnote wrote:It's no different than anyone else with a job! Who says a guy working construction can't get drunk or stoned after work and stay out till 2am and then go to work the next day half crocked?

Your right, it is not different, especially since most employers can now demand any employee suspected of drug use, or coming to work "crocked" take a urine or blood test which could result in immediate termination. Employers just don't put up with that kind of behavior if they are concerned about the safety of workers and of their customers.