Sleep apnea meeting agenda set
Conference to address trucking-related issues
The American Sleep Apnea Association has released the agenda for its Sleep Apnea & Trucking Conference on May 11-12 in Baltimore. Co-sponsored by the American Trucking Associations and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the meeting will offer information about sleep apnea diagnosis, treatment and compliance, along with expert presentations on regulatory, medical, legal and management topics. To view the program agenda, go to https://satc2010.org//preliminary-program-agenda.php
The Sleep Apnea & Trucking Conference will offer information about sleep apnea diagnosis, treatment and compliance, along with expert presentations on regulatory, medical, legal and management topics.ASAA says it has assembled stakeholders and leaders in transportation safety and healthcare to provide accurate, reliable and up-to-date information that addresses the complex issues involving sleep apnea that face the trucking industry. “The conference is a fact-filled day that includes perspectives from regulatory and research agencies, guidance on state medical exams, and real-life experiences from both companies and drivers facing the challenge of sleep apnea on a daily basis,” says Ed Grandi, ASAA executive director.
The target audience for the conference is trucking company executives responsible for safety, operations, medical requirements and policy. To help develop the agenda and inform discussion, ASAA formed an advisory board represented by thought leaders in government, trucking, motorcoach, law, insurance, occupational medicine, sleep medicine and safety. To view the advisory board, go to www.satc2010.org/conference-advisory-board.php.
Registration is $245 as of March 1. All attendees and participants will receive a comprehensive Resource Toolkit, which augments the conference information with additional details and guidance on the management of sleep apnea in trucking. For more information, contact Reid Blank at [email protected] or go to www.satc2010.org.
928 safe drivers join UPS Circle of Honor
UPS inducted 928 drivers into its Circle of Honor, raising to 4,793 the number of active drivers who have steered clear of accidents for 25 years or more. Of the new Circle of Honor members, 231 have been accident-free for 35 or more years, with 17 of those having driven more than 40 years without an accident.
“Safe driving is not an afterthought – it’s at the very heart of our culture,” says Debbie Gehricke, UPS corporate health and safety manager. “Our drivers make a choice to be the best.”
The top safe driver among the 2009 Circle of Honor inductees is Kentucky District tractor-trailer driver Ron “Big Dog” Sowder, who has achieved 48 years and 4 million miles of driving without an accident.
In brief
* Rair (www.rair.com) launched a suite of services to help carriers comply with Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 by analyzing carriers’ violations data, determining the causes of the violations, identifying problematic trends and providing daily assistance in reducing violations and improving safety behaviors.
* Con-way Truckload says its drivers averaged 7.9 accidents per million miles driven in 2009, for an accident frequency rate of .628, or one accident for every 1.6 million miles driven — a 3.1-percent improvement over 2008. The Joplin, Mo.-based company says the most recent rates are the lowest since it began keeping records in 1987.
* ABF Freight System Inc. selected its 2010-2011 Road Team: Charles Ammerman, based in South Bend, Ind.; David Boyer, Wytheville, Va.; Charlie Estrada, Albuquerque, N.M.; Loren Hatfield, Little Rock, Ark.; Thomas Martin, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Nathan McCarty, Denver; Timothy McElwaney, Atlanta; Usevio Martinez, Amarillo, Texas; Kip Michaelis, Salt Lake City; Chad Miller, South Chicago, Ill.; Kenneth Ragan, Omaha, Neb.; and Michael Wesson, Winston-Salem, N.C.
* Brian Busch, a driver sales representative for Con-way Freight, reached the 2-million-mile accident-free mark. The resident of Oak Creek, Wis., has been a professional truck driver for 40 years.
* In a March 17 webinar produced by CCJ sister publications Overdrive and Truckers News, Don Osterberg – Schneider National’s senior vice president of safety, security and driver training – will examine “CSA 2010’s Impact on the Driver Force.” Visit www.truckerwebinars.com to register for the free one-hour presentation, which takes place at 4 p.m. ET.
Preventable or not:
Snowplow plows into Doe
Old Man Winter wasn’t giving up its icy grip on John Doe’s northern travels, and his latest trip to North Dakota was especially painful. Heavy snow! Icy roads! Winds gusting to 30 mph! “Will spring ever get here?” a frustrated Doe asked himself as he reached deep into his giant economy-size bag of Spicy Ranch Doritos for another handful of stress-relieving snackage.
Winter weather prompted John Doe to cautiously enter the parking area, but a snowplow driver trying to clear the lot didn’t see the big rig and backed into it. Was this a preventable accident?His next delivery was just around the corner at Burger Delight, where a snowplow-equipped Ford F-150 piloted by Mack Granola was furiously engaged in keeping the parking lot clear. Doe entered the lot cautiously and very slowly, with his headlights on high beam. Then came trouble, as a dead-tired and inattentive Granola blindly roared backward – directly at Doe’s rig!
Doe stopped dead and leaned on the horn in a desperate attempt to alert Granola, who – SLAMMOWHAMMO!!! – nevertheless plowed full speed into Doe’s front fender, rendering it a total loss. Thankfully no one was hurt, and Granola immediately offered his heartfelt apologies.
But Doe’s heartburn flamed into high heat as he contested a warning letter for a preventable accident from his fleet safety director. The incident was turned over to the National Safety Council, who quickly ruled in Doe’s favor because he’d entered the lot cautiously and had no way of anticipating Granola’s sudden, illogical attack – let alone try to avoid it. n
