Sleep Study 'battle'

Important to note that, absent an actual regulation in 49 CFR 391.41 - there are no "requirements" that are enforced by FMCSA/DOT.

This is probably where they try to justify the OSA junk:

(5) Has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of a respiratory dysfunction likely to interfere with his/her ability to control and drive a commercial motor vehicle safely;

And even that is somewhat of a "leap" - because you actually don't have a "clinical diagnosis", until they use the "arbitrary BMI #", to justify sending someone FOR a "clinical diagnosis" - a simple "suspicion" based on BMI - meh.

While there are suggestions and hints at upcoming regulations - the resistance to this by the industry

Which is what leaves the sorry taste of SCAM in my mouth, every time this subject comes up.

I'm glad this is working out for you. Hopefully, they give you a TWO YEAR - since you are certainly ENTITLED TO IT - based on the simple fact that there is NO REGULATION and no regulation or advice from DOT/FMSCA with regards to OSA thresholds, that can be used to justify DENYING YOU a two year card.

Flip side of this is still - OSA can present a serious safety risk, swell as a health risk. But it's just as easy for someone like me, to drop some weigh (which I need to do anyway) and get down below the (arbitrary) BMI threshold, that would trigger an DOT M.E. to require a sleep study or deny me a card.

For people that spend 2-3 days riding the greydog - just to be denied because of some number - or be forced to do a "sleep study" and purchase a CPAP where their OSA doesn't even require it (since there is no regulatory threshold for REQUIRING IT), still seems a bunch of Voodoo Magic scamery.

At 5'5"/210 - 34.9 @ 200 - I'm a 33.3 - @ 190 a 31.6. So I could still be considered OBESE @ 200 - but below the BMI threshold. Or I could starve myself for a week or two - and get down to 195 and a 32.4 - almost a whole point - for 5 lbs. Don't think that 5 or 10 lbs is going to make that much of a difference in an OSA diagnosis - but it will get me a 2 year card, with no hassles.

I wonder - does the company that does this (no names, but we know PRIME IS ONE), make you return back to their clinic annually (or every two years) when it comes time to RENEW? Or can you just go anywhere to get your renewal?

My DOT examiner screwed me over on my last renewal for BP. I was able to get it down under the 140/90 threshold - and they still only gave me a 1 year card. Now, I didn't mind going to my primary and getting on some mild BP meds to get down below that threshold - and it IS IN MY HEALTH INTEREST to manage my BP (which will go away, when I drop the extra 50 lbs I'm lugging around) - but I scored a 140/102 unmedicated - which should have gotten me the 1 year card without meds and 3 return visits. A matter of the nurse-practitioner not being familiar with the rules - and wouldn't budge - even when I showed them to her.

Rick