Insights - September/October 2017 - 20

apnea and fatigue," said Steven Garrish, senior vice president at
SleepSafe Drivers. "It is still a big issue."
While the DOT agencies backed off a formal sleep apnea
rule, rail and trucking worker fatigue remain in the National
Transportation Safety Board's Top 10 Most Wanted safety
improvements.
"There have been more than 200 fatigue-related safety
recommendations issued by the NTSB," according to the
agency. NTSB stressed the need for better education about
medical conditions and drugs that can impact the quality and
duration of sleep on workers' performance.
"Over the past three decades, a great deal of research has
been done. Research only goes so far. We must implement
what we have learned."

"We have countless stories of drivers
who were hesitant to get tested, but
once they were diagnosed and treated
have said they feel so much better."
- Thomas DiSalvi, vice president, Schneider

There has been interest from both Congress and trade
associations that would like the rulemaking process to resume.
Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.),
Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)
asked the DOT in late August to resume the rulemaking and
explain why it was withdrawn. As of midSeptember, the senators hadn't received a
response from the DOT.
Recent, fatal passenger train
accidents linked to fatigue occurred in
New York and New Jersey.
"We strongly believe that the DOT
should immediately reconsider the
decision in order to help avoid future
fatigue-related tragedies," their Aug. 21
press release said. "Please provide our
offices all data and information used to
make the decision to withdraw the rule,
and the DOT's plan to identify and treat
operators suffering from obstructive sleep
apnea before more fatal tragedies take
place."
The American Academy of Sleep
Medicine, which represents 10,000 sleep
centers and medical personnel, also urged
Let an experienced Landstar agent tailor transportation
resumption of the process, telling the DOT
logistics solutions to meet your needs, and then manage
"to take proactive steps to address this
each shipment from dispatch to delivery.
problem in order to promote public safety
and improve the health of transportation
* Contracts with North America
* A vast network of drayage capacity
personnel."
railroads and asset-based
For motor carriers such as Schneider,
intermodal equipment
* Wide array of equipment available
which began a sleep apnea program
including: container on a flatcar
in 2006, abandoning the rulemaking
* Contracts with small box providers
(COFC), trailer on a flatcar (TOFC),
hasn't altered a commitment to fatigue
specialty and rail cars.
management, said Vice President Thomas
* Door-to-door service into Canada
DiSalvi.
and Mexico
He said Schneider has a fatigue
management program that begins with
Landstar has the available equipment to get your cargo
education in the orientation and finishing
where you need it, on time and on budget.
programs that every new hire must
complete when joining the company. A
next step screens every driver for potential
to suffer from sleep apnea. If a sleep
study is needed, the company pays for it.
877-696-4507 | solutions@landstar.com
If apnea is diagnosed, Schneider's medical
Visit Landstar.com to learn about our customized solutions.
plan covers the cost for equipment to
maintain driver health.
TRUCKLOAD * LTL * HEAVY HAUL/SPECIALIZED * EXPEDITED * AIR * OCEAN
More than 700 comments were
* RAIL INTERMODAL * TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
received before the rulemaking was

KEEPING YOUR FREIGHT
ON THE RIGHT TRACK

20 Intermodal Insights | September/October 2017
http://www.Landstar.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Insights - September/October 2017
