Proper Planning And Patience The Key To Winter Driving

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With snowy conditions covering over half the United States, these can be tricky times for professional truck drivers. It is no secret that winter weather conditions provide unique challenges for truck drivers, even those with million-mile safety records. No matter the season, shippers have the same expectations that freight hauls will be delivered on-time. Slower speeds, reduced visibility and poor road conditions can put a serious crimp in this paradigm.

Yet, there are two factors that can ensure truck drivers get their freight safely from one place to another during the hazardous winter driving conditions. The two keys to winter operation are both good planning and persistent patience.

Professional truck drivers must understand that more time must be baked into the equation when winter storms are blanketing the roads. They must also do their best to plan around severe storms or unfortunate weather events. Even more, patience means not trying to rush just because road conditions are causing delays. If there is anything that could result in an unfortunate accident, it is trying to rush when conditions are unsafe.

Truck drivers must also be extra vigilant in watching for other drivers who may not know how to handle the rough winter road conditions. Whether it be leaving extra space ahead or behind the truck, stopping distances are critical when operating on wet or icy roadways.

Dispatchers must also work with truck drivers to ensure there are alternative routes ready when rough winter conditions make certain roadways unsafe. It is critical that advance research is done when heavy snow or ice is hampering your usual route. Substitute parking locations should also be part of the equation when researching how to avoid hazardous winter weather.

Trucking companies who do not live by the ethos of proper patience and planning find themselves in a bind should the worst happen. It is also important that truck drivers act on the spot when weather conditions which were not on the company weather report suddenly make road conditions too dangerous. Many truck drivers use real-time weather map apps or advanced radar systems tied to tablets or smartphones to stay ahead of the game.

It is also important to consider others who may be operating on the roadways and trying to clear the road of snow or debris. Law enforcement shares the same goal of safe operation on the nation’s roads and highways during winter. Take snow plow drivers as one example. Snow plow operators work in the most dangerous winter conditions, often with little-to-no visibility. When a truck driver sees a snow plow on the road, it is of utmost importance to give them proper space, distance, and patience to do their job.

Providing extra space when operating around snow plows is important because snow plows have wing blades that can extend 10 – 12 feet out from the side of their vehicle. Consider that is the equivalent of a full traffic lane. While these blades often have blinking lights to signal where they are, difficult visibility conditions can make it extra hard to see those lights. Allowing for safe distance and slow driving can make the difference between getting your load safely to the receiver or winding up in an accident, or worse.

Patience is a virtue, especially during winter driving. Never be tempted to pass in unsafe conditions or speed to get around an obstacle when the conditions are snowy or icy. Safe winter driving is key to maintaining a safe record. Don’t let the icy conditions blanketing half the U.S. lull you into a rushed sense of impatience or bad planning.

When Doing The Right Things Right Is What Matters

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Today, we wanted to focus on some very important credos in trucking. Simple turn of phrases often carry great meaning, and the same is true in trucking. No matter what level of the trucking organization you occupy, understanding the importance of words is critical to your success. Let’s start with the first credo.

Do the Right things Right

When it comes to operating a trucking company or driving a big rig in a safe and professional manner, there is one axion that everyone should have at the front of their mind: Do the right things right. Let’s take some time to expand on that important way of thinking about things viewed through the context of safety.

You may read this credo and think, “Well, isn’t that just doing the right thing?” Not really. When it comes to communicating something well or making the proper decision, intent is key. Soldiers in the military know how important it is to understand intent when following through with an order. In situations where it is incumbent upon them to make the decision free of orders, intent is even more important.

Understanding a commander or fleet manager’s intention when issuing an order, asking a question, or providing a new directive provides the basis of how important it is to do the right things right. In the trucking business, this ethos reflects a leader’s intent, which will influence the planning and execution of the question or directive. Trucking is a dynamic business and requires a dynamic level of thinking to ensure safety and success, in-and-out, day-after-day.

Above All, Do No Harm

Here is another important credo we all must keep in mind: Nothing we do is worth harming ourselves or others. These eight simple words should influence everything you do. As a professional truck driver or transportation professional, when you are confronted with tension between competing demands, the best way to handle them is to go back to the two important credos we have just outlined. These simple phrases can be used to reconcile the tension and decide on the best course of action.

Realizing that nothing we do is worth harming ourselves or others is a qualitative statement that should guide a truck driver or trucking organization to strive for operational excellence in everything they say and do. It is important to consider that excellence is achieved and sustained only by assessing your individual and collective performance both critically and continuously. There is no room for error or time to let up when it comes to this assessment.

With the near-real time performance technologies available to us today, the right tools in the hands of fleet managers and truck drivers, when embraced, represent great ways to critically and continuously assess and improve performance measures. By making a habit of following these important credos, over time, truck drivers have fewer crashes or incidents that consume a lot of valuable time. It is better to spend time learning safety credos or technologies than it is investigating instances of failure.

Doing the right things right and ensuring we do nothing that harms ourselves or others requires investments in safety technologies and proactive programs that enable us to live by these credos. When commercial truck drivers fail to live by these simple words, they not only fail to achieve excellence, but accidents can occur. The stakes are simply far too high to allow performance to be managed passively. So, next time you have an operational question you just can’t seem to find the answer to, ask yourself, are you doing the right things right?

Personalizing Your Trucking Safety Program

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Often, when a truck driver is contacted by a recruiter for a trucking company, the offer can sound too good to be true. Yet, the present environment, where qualified and experienced truck drivers are hard to come by it isn’t hard to imagine that the endeavors trucking companies are embarking on to capture qualified candidates can sometimes sound like total fantasy.

To attract and retain qualified and enthusiastic truck drivers, trucking companies today need to sound almost too good to be true. In every conversation and/or interaction with the company, trucking organizations need to refer to their people as “professional truck drivers.” Potential recruits will hear if you refer to your people as “drivers” or “CDL holders.” This incredibly impersonal way of referring to your people could easily send potential new operators looking for a company that speaks like it appreciates them more.

Does your trucking company sound like it places value on the team and treat the truck drivers on their payroll like professional colleagues? This is especially true for potential truck drivers or employees who have worked in safety before. These employees will want to know that the company they are joining will support their efforts to create a personalized safety program, because those are the most effective programs.

Creating a Personalized Program

To create a safety management program that truly sticks, a fleet safety manager must first recognize that everyone is human, and each person has their own unique strengths and weaknesses. The key to creating an effective safety program is to identify the individual strengths and weaknesses of each employee and then using those personality aspects to create an advantage for each employee.

It takes highly committed leadership and innovative thinking to create and maintain an all-encompassing safety environment. It is an approach that must pervade throughout the entire organization. They key thing to remember is that your organization should not have to ‘sell’ their safety and operator recognition program to attract top talent. It should be obvious as a part of what they do without any selling required.

Everyone within the organization, from top-level leadership on down to front-line truck drivers, must live the safety philosophy every day. The company should exist not just for a profit motive, but to be an advocate for their people that they employ and their families.

Technologically-Based Initiatives

If there is one way to prove to current and potential employees that you care about their safety, it is the amount of resources you place in safety programs they count on. Whether it be through a web-based safety program or otherwise, there are specific technologies you can use in your recruiting efforts to attract top talent.

The secret to success in business isn’t very much of a secret. It comes down to getting people, processes and equipment aligned in such a way that there is no question in regards to the benefit of the program you are putting into place.

From video-based programs to customized web-based training sessions, effective motor carriers invest in safety programs that will not only help to attract new truck drivers but remind current truck drivers that the company they call home is invested in their development.

Are you personalizing your truck driver safety program to those within your organization? Remember, not every employee responds to the same training or safety stimuli. Invest in comprehensive programs and ensure those responsible for training your people understands the unique needs of each employee, and you will be set up for success!

 

Your Trucking Safety Update From Washington

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There have been a lot of big moves in Washington D.C. yet again where the trucking industry is concerned. It seems every year, as we reach the end of the year, a flurry of activity changes the game for trucking operators, and this year is no exception. December has been a big month, with the latest news being the FMCSA’s decision to grant the ATA’s petition to intervene in state rest break rules.

Rest Break Update

The new guidance stems from a late-September push by ATA lobbyists to have the DOT pre-empt meal and rest break rules that California had recently put into effect. The trucking advocacy group argued that the new patchwork set of rules would cause an unreasonable burden on interstate commerce by  sowing confusion among motor carriers who operate across state lines.

In a statement on the matter, ATA President and CEO Chris Spear stated that the ruling by the DOT was “a victory for highway safety.” He went on to state that the pre-emption would “unburden businesses throughout the supply chain and keep the prices Americans pay for food, clothing, and countless other items affordable and accessible.”

The main thrust of the argument is that it will be easier for truck drivers to follow a single set of rules, whether they are operating in California or in Oregon. Still, others argue that this will allow trucking companies who are fighting to keep up with record demand to take advantage of their truck drivers, especially where they are classified as independent contractors.

Movement on Jason’s Law

Meanwhile, the Federal Highway Administration is conducting a second Jason’s Law survey asking for feedback regarding the availability of safe truck parking spots for commercial motor vehicle operators. This particular study will also include feedback requests for trucking operations managers and truck stop owners and operators.

Jason’s Law was signed by President Barack Obama in July of 2012 and is named for New York-based truck driver Jason Rivenburg, who was killed in 2009 during a robbery after he parked his big rig at an abandoned South Carolina gas station. The FHWA has cited the lack of available truck parking as a national safety concern.

The safety concern stems from the potential for fatigued truck drivers to either drive when they are too tired to be behind the wheel or to look for parking situations that might be unsafe. The new survey is designed to update the industry on progress made since the initial survey report, which was completed in August of 2015. The mandate comes as a result of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act.

With the new survey, the FHWA aims to update the inventory of truck parking and identify improvements that need to be made since the 2015 survey. They will also highlight what improvements have been made, so that interested parties know where to go. They will also be looking at state-specific truck travel to determine where truck parking demand has increased since the prior survey.

In a new development, the agency will also be evaluating the different types of technologies being developed and used to monitor truck parking availability. With many states and private parties instituting truck parking information systems, the agency hopes to put a comprehensive list together that transportation companies can quickly access for solutions.

Finally, the agency will compile truck parking plans, state studies, and other projects, both governmental and private and by metropolitan planning organizations to see what works and what does not. Hopefully, efforts like these will prevent future issues like what happened to create the need for Jason’s Law in the first place.

Top Tips For Backing Up Your Trailer – Part II

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Welcome back to our two-Part series taking a closer look at the most effective ways to complete one of the most complex aspects of driving a tractor trailer: backing it up. In our first installment, we covered the basics of backing up, what it entails, and initial ways of completing it safely. This week we are going to dig a little deeper.

As a professional truck driver, maintaining a positive record is as much about driving safely on the nation’s roads and highways as it is about maneuvering your big rig. When you are backing your vehicle up, one of the most important things you can do starts with where the connection is made.

Glance At Your Tandems

Of course what your trailer is doing during the backup sequence is important, but you should also be looking at your tandems. You can likely use lines on the pavement to help you judge what angle the truck and the trailer should be at.

Don’t Be Distracted

Just like there is no shame in getting out and looking to make sure you are at the proper angle, there is also no shame in turning off your CB, putting the cell phone down, and shutting off the music. When you are backing up a heavy-duty commercial motor vehicle, you must be focused on the job at hand. Distractions can cause accidents in almost any situation.

Ask A Friend

If you are a new truck driver trying to complete a backing up maneuver in the yard, other truck drivers will be willing to spot you should you need help. Just make sure you are asking someone who is also a truck driver and feels comfortable assisting you. No one wants to see one of their fellow truck drivers get into an accident or cause a major problem because of a failed maneuver, so they will help.

Watch Others

You can learn a lot by watching someone else do something. If you feel you are deficient in your ability to back up, why not pay close attention to when someone else does it at your next opportunity? By watching someone else successfully back up, you can gain a greater understanding about how a trailer pivots.

Think Like A Bird

Imagining what it might look like to back up from an aerial view will help you get the job done correctly by giving you a different perspective. Pretend you are looking down at a toy truck and try to visualize what you need to do to square up the space on a pivot. Visualization lets your minds eye picture where you want it to go. Pairing that with getting out to check once your brain has pictured it completes the observation.

Keep Your Foot On The Brake

Always remember that when you are backing up, you should have your foot ready on the brake once you start rolling backwards at a low rate of speed. Keep your foot covering the brake pedal so that you can be ready to slow down or stop if necessary.

Don’t Back Up

This may sound completely counter intuitive, but it is very true. If it makes sense to not have to back the vehicle up, then why do so? Especially if backing up is not your strongest ability to begin with. Wise truck drivers will do their best to find parking spots that they can pull through. This will not only save time but it will minimize risk.

We hope you have learned something from our two-Part series on backing up! As one of the more complex maneuvers a trucker must undertake, being comfortable with it is critical to driving safe and accident-free!

Top Tips For Backing Up Your Tractor Trailer – Part I

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Ask just about any professional truck driver and they will tell you how difficult it is to back up a tractor trailer. Reversing a vehicle and its load can be incredibly tricky, especially for new truck drivers. That is why it is critical that truckers don’t let bad backing skills make or break their career.

Out of all the truck maneuvers a truck driver must learn, backing up is one of the most difficult to master. Some might even say that no one actually ever masters backing up. It is a constant effort of practicing and doing that helps truck drivers get more confident in the task. There must be a level of comfort to backing up a big rig in order to do it safely and successfully every time.

That’s why we wanted to devote some time to providing the basic tips required for any truck driver to successfully back up their tractor trailer. Whether you are a newbie, or an experienced truck driver with over a million safe miles under your belt, tips like these will never get old.

Pull Your Vehicle Up

Never hesitate to pull up or pull back around if you don’t get it right the first time. The fact is this: There isn’t a truck driver alive who has a 100% perfect record on backing up their truck. Yet, the smart truck driver will recognize when they have not gotten it right and take the necessary steps to correct it. Eventually they will get it right and each time they practice the maneuver they will get progressively better at it.

Speaking of Practice

The best way to ace a trucking maneuver is to spend plenty of time practicing it. Truck drivers must get a good feel for how their trailer moves and reacts to their driving skill. No two truck drivers operate a big rig in the same way, so figuring out the idiosyncrasies of a truck will require plenty of practice.

Empty Lots Are Your Friend

If you are wondering where you will practice your skills, if it isn’t in your home yard, then find an empty lot or empty truck stop to test your skills. Of course, it is important to check with whomever is managing the lot before you start driving around it and practicing maneuvers, but generally, if the lot is empty, you should be able to practice in it.

Check the Steering Wheel

Far too few truck drivers remember that when backing up, they can use their steering wheel as a marker for how they’re doing. New truck drivers would be wise to learn and practice this skill. Imagine the top of the steering wheel as the truck and the bottom as the trailer. As you back up, if you turn the steering wheel to the right, the bottom goes right, which means the trailer will go right. Turning it to the left causes the bottom to go left, so this is also what the trailer will do.

Have a GOAL

If there is one idiom that every truck driver should follow, it is to have a GOAL. In other words, to Get Out And Look! Never hesitate to get out of your vehicle and have a look if you are unsure about whether you are going to hit something or the position of your trailer. There is no harm in being extra cautious for the sake of safety.

Fortunately, this isn’t all we have for you. Join us next week when we dive deeper into what it takes to safely back up a tractor trailer.

Trucking Safely Through Construction Zones

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Construction delays resulting from construction zones often create major headaches for truck drivers, especially those paid by the mile. Even more, construction zones serve as major safety problems for truck and passenger car drivers. In fact, according to the FHWA, over the past five years, over 4,400 people have been killed and over 200,000 injured in work zones, whether involving a large truck or not.

Furthermore, approximately every three days a fatal work zone crash involving a large truck occurs in the United States. That represents 133 truck-involved work zone crashes per year involving a large heavy-duty commercial motor vehicle. Rural interstates account for 47% of fatal work zone crashes. Nearly half of the time those crashes occurred because a large truck hit something or someone that was in front of the vehicle.

While the numbers from the FHWA bear out that work zones are dangerous for anyone traveling the nation’s roads or highways, they are particularly difficult for trucks, who must operate within the confines of either narrowed lanes or lanes that are diverted, merging, or requiring a major reduction in speed. The fact is, even the most professional, accident-free truck drivers must pay extra attention and take great care when traveling through construction or work zones.

Fortunately, there are specific actions truck drivers can take to ensure they get through work zones safely. With proper care and diligence, these sections of road need not be potential death traps for passenger car operators or truck drivers.

Pay Attention to Signage

Work zone signs tell those traversing the work zone everything they need to know. By reading the signs and taking proper care to follow their instructions, you will quickly understand the changes in road conditions or traffic patterns. Not paying attention to the signs can be a matter of life and death if not paid attention to. And considering that truck driver distraction is a factor in a third of all work zone crashes, it is especially important to pay close attention to the signs that are telling you what to expect.

Leave Plenty of Distance

Leaving enough space between your truck and the vehicle in front of you is always important, but it is especially important in work zones. In some cases, the signage may either not be correct or may have been blown over by wind. By paying extra attention to the taillights in front of your truck, you can know what is happening ahead of time. Keeping a good visual horizon, paying attention to road and traffic patterns, and quick preparation for slowing down or stopping can be the critical factor in preventing an accident from occurring.

Reduce Your Speed

When it comes to sudden stopping, high rates of speed can be extremely dangerous. Not only should truck drivers obey reduced speed signs, it doesn’t hurt to knock off a fraction more. Work zones change quickly and if you can’t quickly adjust your driving scenario to account for changing conditions within a work zone, you may find yourself in an unsafe situation. Keep your speed in check and always be ready to slow or stop when the situation merits.

Exercise Excessive Patience

Truck drivers must always be patient. Never let the need to get to a shipper or receiver on time cause you to try barreling through a work zone. You must always be on the look out for construction workers, signal to others what you plan to do and merge safely and early, no matter what your time constraint. Safe and professional truck drivers practice these tips with zealous frequency. Do you?

Technological Advances In Trucking Safety

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Advances in driver-less and electric technology have been making all the headlines recently. Yet innovations in trucking go far beyond autonomous and sustainable technologies. There is another evolution underway, and it may have even greater implications for the trucking industry. The new frontier is in safety technology.

From data, monitoring, and analytics, the landscape for truck drivers and trucking companies is safer than ever. While the change in safety technology in the last 10 years can seem overwhelming, the change represents a lot of good news for the industry. First, it is important to start simple.

Don’t Dive In

In order to prevent yourself from getting your eyes crossed with all the safety changes and technologies available today, start simple. Simple things like backup alarms and collision-mitigation technologies like automatic braking can make all the difference without making you go crazy in implementation.

Features like stability and traction control also allow for a minor investment without breaking the bank or creating too much confusion. Timing is also important. Rather than adding a ton of technologies all at once, doing a staggered implementation lets truck drivers and fleet managers learn the new technology without a huge learning curve.

Make It Standard

Many fleets now standardize many safety technologies that were once considered options. From adaptive cruise control to stationary object detection and lane-departure warnings, truck drivers who move between fleets are no longer surprised by these technologies.

These add-ons are not annoying to truck drivers or overly intrusive. If anything, experienced truckers now expect these technologies. Ensuring these safety technologies come standard will keep your truckers safe and mitigate any financial damage from litigation.

Entertainment As Safety

Although it may seem counterintuitive, many fleet managers are learning that entertainment technology can also help with overall safety measures. Whether it be Bluetooth connectivity, satellite radio or Apple Car Play integration, these technologies do more than make truck drivers happy.

Consider that wireless technologies allow truck drivers to focus on the road ahead rather than fiddling with dash controls or trying to make a call while they are operating a commercial motor vehicle. It is important that fleets do not view these technologies as a distraction, but rather as a safety-enhancer.

Maintenance And Safety

Not only is some of this newer technology helping safety professionals ensure their truck drivers operate safer out on the nation’s roads, it also provides a window into maintenance issues that could turn into safety issues. Whether it be a potential blow-out or a vital under-the-hood component, providing a solution to address maintenance from a safety perspective is critical.

Technologies exist that allow shop technicians to receive alerts when something is about to go wrong on a commercial motor vehicle. There is simply far too much at stake to leave such things to the whims of chance. Invest in smart maintenance technologies today.

Video To Start

Video-monitoring technology collects data and video related to incidents and is one of the easiest safety technologies to adopt. Many fleets today have already outfitted their vehicles with video-capture technology to help them coach their truck drivers and improve their overall safety profile.

Event-triggered cameras immediately jump into action when a risk event occurs, whether it be a hard brake or near collision. These are great coaching tools because they allow truck drivers to view things they could never view before. The video can be used almost like a game film to help show the truck driver how to improve their performance.

A Truck Driver’s Thanksgiving Safety Recipe

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Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at the Trucking Safety Blog. With the holidays here, we wanted to take a moment to talk about safety during the high season on our nation’s roads and highways. The fact is, truck drivers are making all the best and happiest deliveries, from turkeys to cranberries and all the fixin’s, but the most important delivery is the one that is made safely.

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel days of the year and it is incumbent on both truck drivers and motorists to take extra care during this time of year. There is a lot to be thankful for this year, with a booming economy and plenty of prosperity to go around, which is why it is important to pay extra attention to basic safe driving skills.

Did you know that AAA estimates that over 54 million people will travel in excess of 50 miles this Thanksgiving? This represents the highest Thanksgiving travel number in over a decade. With the roads so crowded, it is advised that professional truck drivers exercise patience when heading down their routes.

A particularly helpful resource for both truck drivers and motorists is the American Transportation Research Institute’s Top 100 Truck Bottleneck List. This list provides average speed by time for many different areas around the country. Motorists traveling through unfamiliar regions and truck drivers looking to avoid the worst traffic snarls would find this list quite helpful.

Yet, congestion is not the only challenge that truck drivers and motorists face over the Thanksgiving holiday. Many areas around the country are likely to experience signification snow or rainfall. Winter driving conditions provide unique challenges for truck drivers. Extreme winter weather necessitates safe following distances, reduced speeds, and proper truck maintenance.

There are several critical factors that professional truck drivers must keep in mind as they traverse a wintery landscape. By following tried-and-true methods, truck drivers and motorists can ensure they remain safe on our nation’s roads and highways, no matter the conditions. The fact is, safe driving tips for anyone can be potentially life-saving. With reduced visibility and adverse conditions, paying close attention and thinking critically at the right times can make the difference between life and death.

Even professional truck drivers will be hitting the road in their passenger cars this Thanksgiving. For many, it may be easy to take for granted that they are no longer driving a big rig. Safety behind the wheel of a passenger car is just as important. Truck drivers who have the day off and are on their way to the family’s house for Thanksgiving should always make sure they:

  • Buckle up: Seat belts will not prevent a collision, but they will save a life.
  • Remove ice and snow: Just because you are in a passenger car, windows covered in snow and ice are still very dangerous.
  • Slow down: After being behind the wheel of a semi, a lead foot comes easy behind the wheel of a passenger car. Don’t do it.
  • Stay sober: Don’t let the joy of Thanksgiving turn into a sad story because you chose to get behind the wheel instead of sober up on the couch.

The fact is, Thanksgiving should be a joyous time for everyone. Whether you are a professional truck driver behind the wheel of your rig or you have the day off to spend time with your family, always keep safe driving tips in mind. Stay safe out there and have a wonderful Thanksgiving and happy start to your holiday season!

A New Study Looks At Truck Driver Health And Wellness

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Just north of the border, the University of Saskatchewan’s School of Health has just started a study specifically looking at the health, safety and wellness of long-haul truck drivers. This study is different from others in that it looks at several factors related to a truck driver’s behavior. The spectrum of data points it encompasses includes stress, fatigue, environmental risks, and road hazards. Out of the many studies completed on this topic, this takes a holistic look at truck driver safety and health.

The study was carried out through the creation of two online surveys. One survey was geared towards truck drivers and the second towards trucking companies. The questions in the surveys were designed to learn more about truck drivers’ behaviors and what kind of initiatives trucking companies are implementing to support a healthier lifestyle for truck drivers.

The university will be running the surveys through January of 2019. They are hoping to generate approximately 1,000 responses from both truck drivers and fleets by the time the study completed. Currently, the university is going through the process of aggregating the data and will begin analysis once it has been collected.

Formerly, the university completed a pilot study to determine the efficacy of a full study. The results from their pilot study revealed that health issues ranging from unhealthy eating and drinking to stress and other physiological problems are having a negative impact on truck driver health and wellness. The pilot study also uncovered that trucking companies can and should be doing more to provide a supportive environment for their truck drivers. Whether it be through flexible working hours, better health and wellness policies, or specific programs targeting employee health, the options are out there.

The data gathered through the study, once analyzed, will be used to set up a Best Practices manual or series of guidelines that can be shared with employers and managers within trucking companies. The university took up the study for obvious reasons related to long-haul trucker health.

Professional over-the-road truckers are at risk for elevated illnesses simply due to the nature of their job. Just as an office worker must spend many, many hours a day in a single position, not moving or exercising, a truck driver must operate in similar circumstances. The question surrounding the debate now is: What can be done to change this paradigm?

As technological solutions emerge, trucking companies are better poised to facilitate programs that specifically address the health and wellness of their employees and operators. While many within the industry point to ELD compliance as a major pain point, the health and safety of our nation’s truck drivers should take center stage as we move into the future. Certainly, the growth of innovation in the industry will help.

Truck drivers may be at greater risk for suffering health issues, but as the trucking industry expands and fleets reap the benefits of a heady trucking environment, there is no reason why truck driver health and safety should not take center stage. By delving into the data provided by studies like the one being done by the University of Saskatchewan, trucking companies will be better positioned to do just that. Will we see measurable improvements in trucker health over time? Hopefully so.