MILTON, ON – Marijuana in the workplace, sleep apnea, and Electronic Logging Device mandates will be the subject of the Private Motor Truck Council’s (PMTC’s) next regional seminar being held on May 17 in Calgary, Alberta. It runs from 8:30 to 11:30 am.

As medical marijuana authorizations are on the rise and the possibility of federal legalization looming around the corner, Dr. Melissa Snider-Adler, Chief Medical Review Officer for DriverCheck, will speak about marijuana in the workplace and what companies can do to protect themselves.

Dr. Adler will discuss medical marijuana applications for usage, impairment factors from THC, challenges of marijuana in the workplace, Human Rights Commission consideration, medical marijuana authorizations, testing capabilities of devices, and company policy considerations.

In addition to her presentation on medical marijuana, Dr. Adler will also speak about sleep apnea and dealing with fatigue.

Sleep apnea, a disorder in which someone has one or more pauses in breathing or short breaths while they sleep, is a leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness, and studies have indicated as many as one third of professional drivers have sleep apnea.

In recent years, the industry has begun to better recognize fatigue as an impairment and many carriers have implemented sleep apnea testing and treatment programs into their fleets, which have resulted in substantial declines in accident rates, in addition to improved quality of life for the drivers being treated.

Dr. Adler will discuss what fatigue and sleep apnea is and how fatigue affects someone’s ability to perform safety sensitive duties such as driving a truck.

Mike Millian, president of PMTC will discuss the final topic of PMTC’s Calgary conference which will focus on the pending introduction of mandatory Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) use for any truck operating in the U.S.

Companies not equipped with devices compliant with the U.S. standard will have until December 16, 2019, to acquire and implement compliant technology.

Millian has been involved with the consultations with Transport Canada regarding the impending ELD mandate for Canadian carriers, and will bring those in attendance up to date on the ELD mandate, the position of the timeline, and what carriers should know to guarantee they are prepared and compliant with the mandate on both sides of the border.

Space for the event is limited and people are encouraged to register quick by contacting Vanessa Cox at info@pmtc.ca. Registration for the event is also available online at www.pmtc.ca.

Registration is $50 for PMTC and DriverCheck members, and $125 for non-members. Location will be given upon registration.