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Healthy Trucking Kiosks Offer Innovative Advertising Opportunities

“In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.”

 – Warren Buffett

Schneider Honored for Sleep Apnea Detection, Treatment Program

The benefits of “healthy driving” programs keep piling up for carriers in terms of healthier, happier, safer and more productive drivers, and all of that can’t help but boost retention rates while improving the bottom line.

Consider, for example, the case of Schneider National, Inc. Earlier this year, Schneider National received the 2007 National Sleep Foundation Healthy Sleep Community Award for creating a groundbreaking obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) detection and treatment program for its drivers. Schneider National is the ninth recipient of the award that recognizes outstanding efforts by businesses to initiate activities or programs based on sleep science with the goal of providing long-lasting results to benefit a significant portion of a particular community. 

The commercial driver sleep apnea program administered by Schneider National was created in response to a study sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the American Trucking Associations that revealed up to 28 percent of commercial driver’s license holders have some severity of OSA. A potentially life-threatening, breathing-related sleep disorder that often goes undiagnosed and untreated, OSA is characterized by pauses in breathing that last at least 10 seconds or more and can occur up to 400 times per night.

Signs of sleep apnea include daytime sleepiness, falling asleep at inappropriate times, loud snoring, depression, irritability, loss of sex drive, morning headaches, frequent nighttime urination, lack of concentration and memory impairment. For commercial drivers, these symptoms are dangerous and potentially deadly. Research indicates that untreated sleep apnea puts drivers at increased risk for motor vehicle crashes as well as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes and may contribute to obesity.

“Schneider National is honored that NSF has recognized our efforts to address the dangerous and far-reaching problem of sleep apnea in the industry,” says Don Osterberg, vice president of safety and training for Schneider National. “Ideally, we expect our program will serve as a model for the entire trucking industry. The industry needs to generate awareness of this problem, educate drivers to the dangers of untreated sleep apnea, provide resources to help them get treated and ultimately make the roads safer for everyone.” 

After considering the extensive dangers of OSA on its drivers (most of whom fall into the risk profile for the disorder), Schneider National decided to tackle the problem head on by initiating an education campaign to raise awareness within the organization. Schneider National utilized newsletters, posters, leadership involvement and one-on-one meetings with its drivers. Through this dynamic program, Schneider National tested 547 of its drivers from April to December 2006; 445 of those tested – an astonishing 80 percent – were diagnosed with a sleep disorder and were provided treatment, thus improving the health and safety of its driver workforce. 

The advantages of the Schneider National screening program extend beyond the creation of a healthier, more alert fleet of drivers. The company also saw a reduction in health care costs. These savings were passed onto its drivers, as Schneider provided each identified driver with a free continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine – the standard treatment for OSA. In addition to expanding the campaign within the company, Schneider National plans to take a leadership role in promoting industry change by helping the Department of Transportation shape future guidelines for screening and treatment of OSA in commercial drivers. 

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