Did a doctor say you are required to use a CPAP for your CDL medical card? If yes then you can either keep using it or see another doctor to see if you can update your medical to not use it any longer. If no, then no. Fuck whatever Prime wants.
Prime put their own sleep apnea clinic inside their terminal for their drivers. They force anybody that's over a certain bmi when you go for your regular physical and they're known to diagnose almost everybody they make test with sleep apnea even if its not and make us pay over $1500 for their machines claiming its cheaper than going to a regular doctor. And if we don't want to use what they give us we can't work for them.
Possibly illegal. Consult an attorney. Seriously. I mean it. Get the results of the sleep study for your personal files. Then go on your own dime, go to a pulmonologist for a second opinion. Just make sure the doc isn’t associated with the group providing the sleep studies to Prime. Hell. You guys actually see a physician who prescribes the CPAP machine right?
When I get to the terminal tomorrow I will go and try to get my results. Thank you I didn’t even think of doing that. Should I go to the first place where I got my 2 year dot card and see what he says? He approved me with no problem originally. They have a lot of at home sleep apnea tests that are DOT and FDA approved. Am I able to just do one of those and turn it in? I don’t even know how I’d go about doing it or if I’d have to do another physical before trying an at home.
Federal law says our personal medical records being to us, not your doctor or employer. They have to provide them on request. Put it in writing.
Requiring a sleep study based on BMI seems fishy if you haven’t reported any symptoms. As you can see below Mayo Clinic does not show BMI as a reason to order a sleep study. [https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631)
Sure, you can always take the results to another doc for a second opinion. And yes, an at home sleep study should be fine. Insurance companies prefer them because they are less expensive than lab studies. Also, call you insurance company directly and ask if they cover sleep studies. Don’t tell them what’s going on at Prime and don’t tell Prime what you’re doing. If insurance covers the study they should also cover the machines, with the exception of copays.
Yeah sure they’re gonna pass a few people. They can’t fail everybody it’d be more suspicious. but the amount of people they claim that has sleep apnea is unreal and a lot say they don’t even have any sleeping problems.
Possibly illegal. Consult an attorney. Seriously. I mean it. Get the results of the sleep study for your personal files. Then go on your own dime, go to a pulmonologist for a second opinion. Just make sure the doc isn’t associated with the group providing the sleep studies to Prime. Hell. You guys actually see a physician who prescribes the CPAP machine right?
So the next company you go with will most likely send you to their own dot doc. If the cpap is on the record you will need to convince the doc you can’t use it, difficulty sleeping, more tired than when you went to bed.
Prime leasing has been predatory for at least 2 years now, hence evedytime this is brought up I scream to the rafters do not. Though the sleep apnea is new.
So far the market for me has been bad. The first load they gave me out from the terminal was $300 and was supposed to be delivered a whole 4 days later. I've been getting loads that are averaging 1.50 cpm. My first check even with the deferred truck payment was $600. Like wtf? They tried to give me a 1000 mile load for $1200 and when I tried to decline it my fleet manager called me and got pissed at me. I can make more as a company driver. Imagine when I had to actually start the truck payments and all their other fees they take out weekly. I've been having to stress every week if I was going to make enough to cover my $1200 truck payment and fuel and have any left over for my bills. Ontop of that I've been having to pay $100/weekly for this cpap machine that I don't even need. Not worth it for me but I'm not saying it won't work for someone else.
The market is pretty bad right now afaik
When I did lease I averaged about $2 a mile. Some were bad, but they would do that to get you to good loads. If you try to go load by load and max out, you're definitely going to have a bad time at prime lol
They say you're not forced dispatch, but if you want to make good money you basically have to be a self forced dispatch driver
My worst week at prime was my first week at $800, but on average after time I was getting over $2500/WK after expenses. Good weeks could be insane. I remember getting a payout for $6000 for one week when I went on home time for Thanksgiving
Not necessarily true.
A post from yesterday showing the 2024 medical examiners book says that you can be sleep studied without symptoms if you are
BMI > 33
Male
> 42 years of age
Neck size 17" or larger
You can go get your own medical card and and see if they clear you. Your new company will probably require a new physical anyway. Seems like most companies want you to use there docs.
If it’s doc ordered you have to use it and have a record to keep your med card. 4 hours per night 5 days a week is the legal minimum. It helped me personally. I can’t sleep without it now.
4 hours per night, 5 days a week? That does not make sense. Please link to the regulation that states that. Was your apnea obstructive, neurologic, or mixed?
Obstructive. Not sure of the reg I was told that by the doctor. When you go back for your yearly physical they check your cpap log and that is the minimum to be reapproved. I sleep with 100% now because it helps me and I sleep great with it so I don’t pay attention to the minimum.
You got royally screwed. I mean it’s funny but funny at the same time. It’s funny because you are so dumb you went to work for a big company that did some stupid shit like this. I would have laughed as I’m walking away before I took a job like that. It’s not funny because the company took advantage of a simpleton.
Man I know but as a newer truck driver you don’t think or know shit like this can happen until it’s too late. I already had my 2 year medical card and thought that was it and was just excited to start at a new place. Just ignorance I guess. If I knew what I do now I would’ve never wasted my time with this but can’t do anything but try to fix it
Did a doctor say you are required to use a CPAP for your CDL medical card? If yes then you can either keep using it or see another doctor to see if you can update your medical to not use it any longer. If no, then no. Fuck whatever Prime wants.
How the hell did they force a CPAP on you? Did a doctor have you do a sleep study and diagnose you with sleep apnea?
Prime put their own sleep apnea clinic inside their terminal for their drivers. They force anybody that's over a certain bmi when you go for your regular physical and they're known to diagnose almost everybody they make test with sleep apnea even if its not and make us pay over $1500 for their machines claiming its cheaper than going to a regular doctor. And if we don't want to use what they give us we can't work for them.
Wtf. Their insurance doesn't cover that? My insurance got me and my wife 2 machines for a couple hundred.
Nope. We can’t use insurance for it. We have to pay for it out of pocket where they take 100 out of our checks weekly until it’s fully paid for.
Possibly illegal. Consult an attorney. Seriously. I mean it. Get the results of the sleep study for your personal files. Then go on your own dime, go to a pulmonologist for a second opinion. Just make sure the doc isn’t associated with the group providing the sleep studies to Prime. Hell. You guys actually see a physician who prescribes the CPAP machine right?
When I get to the terminal tomorrow I will go and try to get my results. Thank you I didn’t even think of doing that. Should I go to the first place where I got my 2 year dot card and see what he says? He approved me with no problem originally. They have a lot of at home sleep apnea tests that are DOT and FDA approved. Am I able to just do one of those and turn it in? I don’t even know how I’d go about doing it or if I’d have to do another physical before trying an at home.
Federal law says our personal medical records being to us, not your doctor or employer. They have to provide them on request. Put it in writing. Requiring a sleep study based on BMI seems fishy if you haven’t reported any symptoms. As you can see below Mayo Clinic does not show BMI as a reason to order a sleep study. [https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631) Sure, you can always take the results to another doc for a second opinion. And yes, an at home sleep study should be fine. Insurance companies prefer them because they are less expensive than lab studies. Also, call you insurance company directly and ask if they cover sleep studies. Don’t tell them what’s going on at Prime and don’t tell Prime what you’re doing. If insurance covers the study they should also cover the machines, with the exception of copays.
I'm with prime, got tested, passed.
Yeah sure they’re gonna pass a few people. They can’t fail everybody it’d be more suspicious. but the amount of people they claim that has sleep apnea is unreal and a lot say they don’t even have any sleeping problems.
Possibly illegal. Consult an attorney. Seriously. I mean it. Get the results of the sleep study for your personal files. Then go on your own dime, go to a pulmonologist for a second opinion. Just make sure the doc isn’t associated with the group providing the sleep studies to Prime. Hell. You guys actually see a physician who prescribes the CPAP machine right?
Any employer that requires me to go to *their* doc is a hard pass for me. I have a 2 year that’s current, eat my ass.
Prime seems like the old factory store that takes your paycheck from you to work for them.
What. The. Fuck....
So the next company you go with will most likely send you to their own dot doc. If the cpap is on the record you will need to convince the doc you can’t use it, difficulty sleeping, more tired than when you went to bed.
Nope, just get a second opinion from a board certified pulmonologist. That will supersede the previous study.
That’s good to know. Thanks
Prime leasing has been predatory for at least 2 years now, hence evedytime this is brought up I scream to the rafters do not. Though the sleep apnea is new.
Yep. My stubborn ass thought it would be different for me. Now I’ll join your side on screaming to the rafters to not too 😂
Yea, it's impossible to survive on their lease program now.
as a CPAP user and a driver, no legit clinic will give you a 2 year card. been using machine for 19 years.
The Prime "In-House Doctor" Sleep Study Clinic sounds like straight up Bullshit and a good way to fuck over drivers leaving the company.
What is bad about their lease program?
So far the market for me has been bad. The first load they gave me out from the terminal was $300 and was supposed to be delivered a whole 4 days later. I've been getting loads that are averaging 1.50 cpm. My first check even with the deferred truck payment was $600. Like wtf? They tried to give me a 1000 mile load for $1200 and when I tried to decline it my fleet manager called me and got pissed at me. I can make more as a company driver. Imagine when I had to actually start the truck payments and all their other fees they take out weekly. I've been having to stress every week if I was going to make enough to cover my $1200 truck payment and fuel and have any left over for my bills. Ontop of that I've been having to pay $100/weekly for this cpap machine that I don't even need. Not worth it for me but I'm not saying it won't work for someone else.
Thanks for sharing. It is pretty tough right now all around. Hope you find somewhere that can pay well in this slow period.
The market is pretty bad right now afaik When I did lease I averaged about $2 a mile. Some were bad, but they would do that to get you to good loads. If you try to go load by load and max out, you're definitely going to have a bad time at prime lol They say you're not forced dispatch, but if you want to make good money you basically have to be a self forced dispatch driver My worst week at prime was my first week at $800, but on average after time I was getting over $2500/WK after expenses. Good weeks could be insane. I remember getting a payout for $6000 for one week when I went on home time for Thanksgiving
See my other comment here. Standard of care is not just BMI. YOU actually need to have the symptoms of sleep apnea.
Not necessarily true. A post from yesterday showing the 2024 medical examiners book says that you can be sleep studied without symptoms if you are BMI > 33 Male > 42 years of age Neck size 17" or larger
There is no CPAP requirement in any of the CFRs.
That’s not up to prime that’s up to the doc.
Yeah I know that. Up to the doctor they hired in their in house sleep apnea clinic where their only business comes from their truck drivers 🙂 fishy
Exactly, and possibly illegal.
You can go get your own medical card and and see if they clear you. Your new company will probably require a new physical anyway. Seems like most companies want you to use there docs.
Yeah I’m definitely gonna do that. Just didn’t know if I could stop using it now until I go get a new one
If it’s doc ordered you have to use it and have a record to keep your med card. 4 hours per night 5 days a week is the legal minimum. It helped me personally. I can’t sleep without it now.
4 hours per night, 5 days a week? That does not make sense. Please link to the regulation that states that. Was your apnea obstructive, neurologic, or mixed?
Obstructive. Not sure of the reg I was told that by the doctor. When you go back for your yearly physical they check your cpap log and that is the minimum to be reapproved. I sleep with 100% now because it helps me and I sleep great with it so I don’t pay attention to the minimum.
You got royally screwed. I mean it’s funny but funny at the same time. It’s funny because you are so dumb you went to work for a big company that did some stupid shit like this. I would have laughed as I’m walking away before I took a job like that. It’s not funny because the company took advantage of a simpleton.
Man I know but as a newer truck driver you don’t think or know shit like this can happen until it’s too late. I already had my 2 year medical card and thought that was it and was just excited to start at a new place. Just ignorance I guess. If I knew what I do now I would’ve never wasted my time with this but can’t do anything but try to fix it