Aeroflow Industrial has recently done a trial with a new DC to AC power inverter for truck drivers to use in the cab of their truck with their CPAP machine. Over the road drivers were given this new inverter and asked to put it through the typical on the road trials. Lynn Anderson of Hardy Bros Trucking said, “ That new inverter really does the trick!”. He can plug in his CPAP machine without using one those expensive inverters he was used to using. He said, “ I will have this cord with me on every trip now”.

Sleep apnea is the trucking issue getting the most attention these last few months.

As you can read in the current December print issue of Today's Trucking, U.S. regulators recognize undiagnosed OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) as being a growing problem and plan to address it with a regulatory pen. Canada, it's said, will have little choice but to draft a "Made in Canada" version that passes muster with the Americans.

In all likelihood, ongoing treatment for OSA could be required to keep your CDL. There are several options, but the most mainstream right now is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device. They're supposed to be effective, but can be bulky and uncomfortable for many people.

Upon seeing one next to his grandfather's bed, my five-year old asked his nonno why he "sleeps with a vacuum cleaner on his face."

Luckily, for more moderate, manageable forms of OSA, dieting and healthy eating can go a long way -- something truckers should try, with or without sleep disorders.

According to a recent Harvard Medical School study , sleeping and eating are intricately intertwined in shaping truckers' health. Addressing one aspect of your lifestyle, greatly improves the other:

In surveys of truckers working at U.S. trucking terminals, those who felt they regularly got adequate sleep tended to consume more fruits and vegetables and fewer sugary drinks and snacks, Dr. Orfeu M. Buxton, at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues found.

These real-world findings are consistent with laboratory studies showing that insufficient sleep increases hunger and "induces greater eating, especially unnecessary snacking," Buxton noted in an email to Reuters Health

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Aeroflow Industrial implements a program the trucking industry can live with

Unlike most sleep programs that require you to check into a traditional hospital or Sleep Laboratory overnight for a full polysomnography Study (PSG). This program can help the patient get accurately tested with a small portable device while sleeping in your natural sleeping location. This preferred logistic approach saves time and money, getting the patient tested, treated, and back on the job, or just the relief of the symptoms in less time. Among those who have experienced both methods, portable testing is the clear choice.

PSG testing is still offered for all patients who present with potentially complex sleep issues. However, portable testing is rapidly growing in use and stature as an equally accurate method of diagnosing sleep apnea for groups who have been pre-screened and are known to be at risk for sleep apnea. If you were having car trouble, why would you spend the time and money to replace the engine? Especially if you could do a quick, inexpensive diagnostic test that will probably tell you that you just need a tune up?