Tom Milam, CEO of health care provider TrueLifeCare, will tell you that there are three things motor carriers and their drivers need to know about diabetes and how it impacts the trucking industry:
- There’s a 50% higher occurrence of diabetes in truck drivers than the national average;
- Drivers with diabetes聽can apply for a medical waiver with the聽Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to allow them to operate a commercial vehicle, as long as they meet its specific criteria;
- Yet while the use of insulin is no longer a complete barrier to being able to operate a commercial vehicle on the road, a driver must be able to prove they are maintaining stable blood sugars; not an easy task.
鈥淢anaging diabetes on one’s own is a daunting task. Add to that the high mobility of truck drivers and it’s nearly impossible,鈥� Milam explained to Fleet Owner.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 where companies like ours come into play; developing diabetes management programs for employers who have high incidences of diabetes in their workforce,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e coach drivers 鈥� via telephone 鈥� about ways to manage their disease and stabilize blood sugars in order to keep them healthy and on the road.鈥�
Milam said there are two key facts fleets need to keep in mind diabetes: First, that there is no cure and, second, diabetes is progressive, meaning that as symptoms worsen, the disease causes more harm to your body, especially without attentive personal management.
鈥淭he most immediate impact for drivers with diabetes is losing their jobs,鈥� he stressed.
鈥淭ruck drivers can lose their ability to drive if they require insulin to manage their disease, an almost automatic 鈥榙o not certify鈥� condition,鈥� Milam said. 鈥淭oday, nearly 20% of all people with diabetes use insulin therapy. While drivers who use insulin can apply for an exemption, it is a time-consuming and complicated process that can take up to 180 days, costing the driver his livelihood in the meantime.鈥�
And while an insulin prescription isn鈥檛 necessarily a career-ending diagnosis, drivers can lose their certification to drive if they are diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy 鈥� the loss of sensation of touch in the hands or feet.
鈥淎bout 70% of all people with diabetes develop some form of peripheral neuropathy because they fail to properly manage their disease,鈥� Milam noted.
Another diabetic 鈥渟ide effect鈥� that can potentially disqualify a driver is retinopathy, which is when diabetes causes fluids to 鈥渓eak鈥� into the eye, he explained.
鈥淚t can take 10 years from the onset of diabetes to start developing, but most people are diagnosed with diabetes five to seven years after the onset of the disease. So, in reality, a driver could start developing retinopathy soon after being diagnosed,鈥� Milam emphasized. 鈥淭he good news is, with personal management, a driver can keep this condition from developing and progressing.鈥�
While other conditions can affect truck drivers with diabetes, those listed above can disqualify a driver from hitting the road because they impair the sensory skills necessary to safely operate a large truck, he pointed out.
Milam added, too, that proper medications are not only important for helping manage diabetes itself for driver so afflicted, but also its complications, such as hypertension and heart disease.
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