Up Front

Health an industry-wide issue

We’ve been talking a lot about health issues as they relate to truck drivers in this space in recent months. After familiarizing myself with the seriousness of the problem and its potential impact on the well-being of the nation’s over-the-road professionals, I’ve come to the conclusion that we can no longer sit back and hope that the problem goes away. It won’t, and it’s up to all of us—drivers, carriers, the medical profession and yes, publications like Over the Road and Pro Trucker—to do all we can to solve the problem starting right now. Lives are at stake.
     Let’s face it, driving a truck is a tough way to make a living. Driving a truck and maintaining your good health is even tougher, but it can be done. For this issue’s “Say What” feature, we asked drivers what they do to stay healthy while on the road (see page 32). Some offered solid suggestions, some wished they as individuals did more to improve their own health, still others expressed hope that the industry made it easier for drivers to lead healthier lives by providing healthy eating choices and/or exercise equipment at truck stops and terminals.
     Clearly, the health of drivers is an industry-wide concern, and only the industry as a whole can fix it.