ARLINGTON, Va. — This is one conference you won’t want to doze through.

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) is sponsoring the first ever national conference on sleep apnea and commercial drivers, on May 12 in Baltimore.

It’s high time you put sleep apnea on your things-to-worry-about list.

Trucking industry experts say sleep-apnea testing and — if necessary, treatment — might soon be a prerequisite for driving in the U.S.A., much like drug testing is now. And that means Canadian cross-border haulers will likely have to comply with some sort of standard in order to operate stateside. 

(In fact, some say you should have your drivers tested and treated now, while the treatments are still covered by your provincial health plans. That could change if sleep-apnea treatment becomes a condition of employment.)

The conference will be hosted by the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA), and will feature presentations and panel discussions designed to assist people in the trucking industry who have to deal with sleep apnea.

Obstructed sleep apnea (OSA) is condition in which an individual’s airway is blocked while sleeping, typically resulting in frequent breathing interruptions lasting from 10 seconds to more than a minute at a time, loud snoring and non-restorative sleep.

It’s particularly prevalent among truckers and overweight people and experts believe that about 85 percent of cases have so far gone undiagnosed.

"The trucking industry continues to grapple with the tough questions and issues surrounding screening and treatment for sleep apnea," said Dave Osiecki, ATA Vice President of Safety, Security and Operations. "This event is a significant step forward and we encourage industry stakeholders to participate."

The conference will be held at the Westin Baltimore Washington — BWI in Baltimore, Md. and is preceded by a reception and keynote address from National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman on May 11, 2010.

For more information, visit www.satc2010.org.

Also be sure to check back here next week when a TT exclusive feature on sleep apnea will be posted online.