The Canadian Trucking Alliance, in partnership with OSA Canada Inc., is launching a pilot in Canada to deliver a full-service sleep apnea program to commercial truck drivers.

As part of the program, OSA Canada will visit terminals to screen, test and diagnose drivers as well as equip and train drivers with sleep apnea to use a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) treatment machine and mask - all within 72 hours or less.

"The OSA Canada program will offer a turnkey solution for fleets whose commercial drivers are dealing with the challenges of sleep apnea," says Mark Sylvia, president, OSA. "Carriers will never have to worry about access to sleep beds, CPAP machines breaking down or drivers having difficulty finding the right mask; equipment will be replaced and re-fitted no questions asked."

Part of the strength of OSA Canada Inc. includes the involvement of Precision Pulmonary Diagnostics LLC in helping to deliver and monitor therapy for to drivers under the program. PPD has screened more than 40,000 truck drivers for trucking companies, including Schneider National and Swift Transportation. They have also provided and monitored the therapy program for more than 3,000 drivers who have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea.

In 2012, the US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee and Medical Review Board adopted 11 recommendations related to sleep apnea in the trucking industry, which includes requiring all drivers with a body mass index measurement of 35 or higher to be tested for the condition.

Since 2010, CTA has been working with various partners, including its group benefits provider, Group Health, to put a Canadian sleep apnea program together in anticipation of a possible regulatory requirement in the Unites States.

"FMCSA took a significant step toward potential regulation of the screening and treatment of drivers at risk for obstructive sleep apnea," says CTA CEO David Bradley. "Although it may still take some time for this regulation to materialize, the Canadian Trucking Alliance has been working on a solution for all Canadian carriers regardless of where they are domiciled."