Schneider National Inc, Green Bay WI, has won the American Sleep Apnea Award from the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) for Schneider's implementation of a detection and treatment program aimed at drivers who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Schneider is the first company to receive the honor. “The program Schneider implemented was innovative and proactive and has been successful in many ways," said Edward Grandi, executive director of ASAA. "We feel it will serve as the example by which all other award recipients will be measured from this point forward.”
The ASAA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about sleep apnea and to serving people with the disorder. Schneider’s internal program has generated awareness within the trucking industry and educated drivers about the disorder. “The drivers we determined to be high risk, based upon a prescreen questionnaire, were provided with a treatment program," said Don Osterberg, vice-president of safety and training for Schneider National. "This approach has greatly improved the overall health of these drivers, reduced our healthcare benefits costs, and delivered a 30 percent reduction in accident frequency due to driver fatigue.”