The lure of the open road has long been the driving force behind the men and women opting to work in the trucking industry. Independent owner-operators enjoy the perks of being their own boss and setting their own schedules. Drivers for larger transportation companies can secure competitive pay and attractive benefit packages that include bonuses, stock options, and state-of-the-art trucks.
Of course, there are downsides as well, including absences from home, stress from high traffic areas and breakdowns, changing government regulations, and the physical demands of the job. So what can truckers do to alleviate the negative aspects of a life on the road? We take a look at the pros and cons and deliver some good advice from several trucking insiders and transportation experts.
Inherent Challenges
Of the 7 million trucking-related jobs in the United States, 3.2 million of these are truck drivers according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA). Despite these numbers, there is a critical shortage—to the tune of nearly 35,000—affecting the industry. Part of the problem is demographics, as many of the nation’s drivers are Baby Boomers with a median age of 46.5 years, with an even higher age of 52 years for private carriers.
As older drivers decide to retire, there are few waiting in the wings to take their place. Millennials, for the most part, are not flocking to fill the void due to what they consider work/life balance issues. Though many in the transportation world would argue in support of trucking’s benefits, this younger generation may have a point: the average daily run is nearly 500 miles and drivers can spend up to 11 hours driving each day or between 60 and 70 hours a week, compared with the average American’s 35-hour work week.
Yes, drivers spend much of their time away from home, from their own beds, and sleep patterns can be disturbed. When this is combined with the sedentary nature of the job and a diet often dominated by fast food, there can certainly be health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Further exacerbating these problems can be a lack of traditional healthcare, with few drivers even having a primary care physician due to time spent crisscrossing the country.
Current Endeavors
So what can be done? Tackling the problem is not easy; drivers may be aware of the various health issues, but some are unconcerned. “Healthcare providers and large companies would surely love for health and fitness to become more important to drivers. And, of course, you have some drivers who care deeply about it and do manage to eat healthy and stay in shape,” comments Brett Aquila, a veteran of 15 years on the road and author of Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving.
