fatigue as a contributing causal factor, we would assume that, yeah, fatigue was probably a factor in that crash,” he said. After an occupational health nurse
suggested that sleep apnea may have been a primary cause of crashes, the company undertook an aggressive stance against the condition. In 2004, it piloted a screening program for high-risk drivers that, when necessary, prescribed treatment with a CPAP. The drivers’ use of the machines was monitored remotely and required as a condition of employment.
In 2006, the program became
companywide, with all current and incoming drivers screened. Working with an outside provider, Schneider National created a vocationally specific screening program combining a series of questions with studies of characteristics such as body mass index and neck circumference. The company pays close attention to drivers early in the program to make sure they are participating and that the effort is successful. According to Osterberg, drivers can be tested and provided a CPAP during one after-hours
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session, all at no cost to them. “You had to make it as driver-friendly as you possibly could,” he said. According to Osterberg, the results
showed clear improvements in numerous areas. The most immediately striking was health care costs, which dropped at the self- insured company by $250 to $600 per driver per month. Driver retention improved and, according to Osterberg, drivers reported better health and wellness. One study found that crash frequency
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had dropped 30 percent in the 12 months post-treatment, while the median cost of crashes fell by 48 percent. However, the company wanted to eliminate all variables. For example, the additional 12 months meant drivers had more experience, which would reduce crashes. Even taking those variables into account, however, the company saw a 17 percent decrease in crash frequency and is studying the effect on crash severity. Schneider did this despite the lack of
clear guidelines coming from the FMSCA. According to Osterberg, it didn’t need them. “We don’t wait to be told what to do in spaces like this,” he said. “We see an opportunity to improve fleet safety, improve driver health and wellness, so we’re not going to wait for a regulator or a legislator to tell us.”
Arizona Trucking Association 2012 Yearbook
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