Fleets have a role in driver health and wellness
Summary
Mississippi-based carrier Gulf Relay has implemented a safety program for its drivers that includes Fit to Pass, a program by Espyr that provides professionally trained CDL coaches who understand the driver lifestyle challenges and related health impacts. “Its sad but its real that the majority of our population has a less than one-year card, which means they’ve already been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, blood pressure problems and sleep deprivation, and blood pressure usually is the number one thing that takes them out of service,” said Bob Perry, a health advocate for truck drivers. It allows drivers to measure their blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), heart rate and respiration. [RELATED: What Drivers Want: How fleets show respect with custom apps] As many as 47% of truckers are at risk for sleep apnea due to long hours on the road and irregular sleep patterns, among other factors such as obesity and lack of exercise, according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. The study said if sleep apnea is untreated, it can lead to more serious health problems, not to mention the risk of falling asleep behind the wheel, endangering themselves and other drivers on the road.