Consider This

The road to better health

The trucking industry is sick, and if something isn’t done to treat it, it’s only going to get worse, and drivers will pay the price.

No, we’re not talking about the financial health of the trucking industry. Many carriers are enjoying record revenues and profits as freight volume continues to soar and fuel rates are manageable, if not comfortable, thanks to widespread pass-along policies.

What’s ailing are the folks behind the wheel, the nation’s three million or so over-the-road professionals whose health, when viewed as a group, is in serious need

of medical attention. Dr. John McElligott, founder of the Professional Drivers Medical Depot (www.pd-md.com), has been focusing on driver health issues for 15 years and recently opened the first of a planned series of PD-MD clinics at Petro truck stops across the country. According to Dr. McElligott, 90 percent of OTR drivers are on medication for high blood pressure, diabetes, elevated cholesterol or some combination of the three.

Given that studies indicate that 60 percent of OTR drivers experience some form of sleep apnea (a potentially life-threatening sleeping disorder), up to 60 percent have hypertension and a relative large percentage are obese, it’s no wonder that the life expectancy of OTR drivers is well below the national average.

The sad fact is, too many over-the-road drivers have spent too many years practicing bad lifestyle habits: eating too much or eating the wrong food, not getting enough exercise and sleep, working under too much pressure to deliver “just in time” freight and being away from family and friends for extended periods of time. It all adds up, and it all takes a toll on a driver’s health.

Fortunately, the trucking industry is finally wak-ing up to the problem. A growing number of carriers are adding gyms and blood pressure kiosks to their terminals, and truck stops are offering healthier food choices. Over the Road and Pro Trucker magazines sponsor “Healthy Trucking” kiosks at more than 100 truck stops around the country (visit the Web site at healthytruckinginfo.com). The kiosks include blood-pressure monitoring machines and a wealth of health information, all available for free. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, one of the nation’s top pharmaceutical companies, has introduced a free online program, BP DownShift™ (drivershealth.com), that is geared toward helping drivers lower their blood pressure. Professional Drivers Medical Depot (pd-md.com) is in the process of opening up to 80 medical clinics at truck stops from coast to coast, offering everything from DOT physicals to first aid.

Driving over the road can be hard on one’s health. It’s not easy to stay in shape while being cooped up in a cab for hours at a time, but many truckers do it. They avoid fatty foods, they exercise whenever they can, they monitor their blood pressure and see a doctor for regular check-ups. Ultimately, the responsibility for one’s health lies with each individual. The choice is yours.