Posts by Day: Friday, May 23, 2008

Many truckers in the United States are beginning to be concerned about the state of their overall health.  There is no small reason for this recent interest; there are several health conditions that are beginning to take a toll on truckers around the country. It is estimated that the average trucker will have his or her lifespan shortened by 5 to 10 years as a result of their occupation.  Truckers are prone to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, depression, smoking, and exhaustion.  Truckers also have a dangerous job; they account for 17% of the Americans who die on the job and also make up the largest portion of highway fatalities.

It's no wonder that truckers face a number of health concerns.  After all, with so many hours of the day spent behind the wheel with little chance to exercise, and only fast food options available, obesity seems to be only a matter of course.  It takes determination and conscious choices on the part of truckers to avoid this fate.  

The health concerns facing truckers have become so bad that they have caught the attention of the trucking industries, which are starting to look at imposing different regulations about driving with high blood pressure and diabetes.  They are also concerned over rising health care costs and the loss of drivers.  The growing shortage of drivers and the costs of caring for drivers injured or ill because of their job is beginning to prompt calls for change in the industry as a whole.