It's not an easy life, and by far, the vast majority of truckers are safe drivers. But an On Your Side investigation found some are also putting themselves and others at risk.

At 60 mph, it’s an 80,000-pound weapon. And we found truckers with serious medical conditions are often behind the wheel.

Jessica Rose was killed instantly when a big rig slammed into her car.

Join Discussion

"If someone needs 27 prescriptions, they probably shouldn't be driving a commercial vehicle. They probably shouldn't be driving a car on the highway much less a tractor-trailer," said Randy Rose, Jessica's father.

Prescriptions ranged from painkillers to drugs for seizures and panic disorders. And though none was found in the truck driver's system, NewsChannel5 did find he was not medically approved to drive.

Nearly six years later, innocent lives remain at risk.

"A life was lost and nothing came of it," said Pat Rose, Jessica's mother.

And nothing has come of thousands of others medically unfit to drive a tractor-trailer.

Dr. Richard Odesky said, "Are there people out there who should not be on the road? Absolutely, we see them all the time."

Odesky is one of the nation's leading experts on trucker health and safety. He's found coronary heart disease, serious neurological conditions, even sleep disorders.

"Sleep apnea keeps them up. They can't rest, they don't have enough sleep, they're exhausted when they drive and they just nod off," Odesky explained.

The 5 On Your Side investigation uncovered 12,000 cases -- from explosive tankers to toxic waste -- with truckers who may be unfit to drive. NewsChannel5 took these findings to state regulators.

Milan Orbovich of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio said, "We have a big level of concern."

Truckers are required to carry a medical certificate proving they're fit to drive. But NewsChannel5 uncovered a huge problem.

"We have no means to verify a certificate when we have a driver stopped alongside the road for inspection," Orbovich said.

And why is that? Because the same state agency regulating truckers doesn't keep a single copy in its files.

So out on the road, there's no way to know if a medical certificate is real or fake.

"They're paper. I mean somebody with a pen, a good eye and steady hand could change numbers. Does it happen every day? Not in our practice. But it happens enough that it’s become a problem," Dr. Odesky explained.

NewsChannel5 found some drivers with serious disabilities.

Investigator Ron Regan asked, "So you could have an 80,000 pound truck barreling down the road and a driver without a leg could be behind the wheel? Now those are few and far between, but you've seen it?"

Orbovich responded, "Right."

One driver had an artificial arm, another had no legs. Both lacked valid medical certificates. The On Your Side investigation even found some truck drivers disabled enough to be collecting disability.

Regan said, "The system is set up so he can cheat. Just pays the $100 fine."

"Right ... right and that's a problem," Orbovich said.

But some drivers “keep on truckin'."

Regan said, "I could get hundreds of them and not lose my license. Should that change?"

Orbovich responded, "Well, in my opinion, I would like to see that somehow that would affect their driver license."

The trucking industry points out that most truck accidents are caused by cars and a disability does not mean you are not fit to drive. But it agrees that tracking medical certificates needs improvement and supports a national database of medical examiners to determine if truckers are fit to drive.

Check out the following links for more information.

• FMCSA's Progress in Improving Medical Oversight of Commercial Drivers
• GAO Report