Should Body Mass Index (BMI) Be Enforced In Trucking?

[Brett]

I've written a blog on this subject and you can find it here: http://www.bigrigdriving.com/2010/trucking-industry-debates/should-body-mass-index-be-enforced-in-the-trucking-industry

I definitely feel BMI should be used in the trucking industry as a hiring criteria for a number of reasons, including the ability to find responsible drivers that are not at high risk of losing control behind the wheel (heart attack), a reduction in the cost of healthcare to trucking companies, and to improve the image of trucking companies and truckers nationwide overall, amongst many other reasons. I elaborate much further in my blog.

However I do not feel the government should be enforcing these standards nationwide. I feel trucking companies themselves should have the right to enforce the standards themselves if they so choose and to set the level at which they would like the standard to be. The main reason for this is the constant fluctuation in driver demand at any given company at any given time. If a company has plenty of drivers they need to be able to raise their hiring standards to attract more qualified drivers, and if they see a sudden rise in demand for drivers they need to be able to lower their hiring standards a bit to fill the vacant seats.

[americantrucker01]

1 NATIONAL standard should be enforced.Along with aptitude test.Driving schools should lengthing  programs.I hear over/over I got enough training to pass the test.

[semitruckman]

The problem with BMI is that is not a strong indicator of over all health. Let me put it this way. People with poor health (heart attack, diabetes, etc) tend to have high BMI's but people with high BMI's don't necessarily have poor health. Think of the guy that's 5' 8'' but lifts weights. He will have a very high BMI but is probably in good shape. To accomplish what your suggesting you would use lipid profiles (levels of triclycerides, glucose, etc.), etc.