Health Promotion Solutions report on the health of American Truck Drivers and how health education, screenings, nutritional assessment tools, etc.. can significantly enhance the well being and productivity of drivers.

1. American Crisis - Health of our Nation's Truck Drivers
In America, nearly 1 of every 15 people in the workforce is employed in the
trucking industry, with over 7 million truck drivers on our roads. Due to an
unhealthy lifestyle and lack of good nutritional options while traveling, truck
drivers are categorically one of the unhealthiest populations in our country.
Indicative of the challenges facing this population, the average life
expectancy of drivers is 61 years (Global Insight May 2005). Over 75 % of
truck drivers are overweight or obese; more than 50 % fall into the category
of obese, compared to the national rate of 26.7 %. The prevalence of
diabetes is 50% higher among truck drivers than the general population
(10.3% vs. 6.4%, respectively). 87 % of truck drivers have hypertension or
pre-hypertension, compared to the national average of 58.3 percent (JOEM
2009). These health issues place a toll on families, impose a financial
burden on employers and create regulatory challenges for the federal
government due to the related safety issues on our roads.
The Barriers
There are a variety of challenges that truck drivers face on a daily basis.
Drivers experience a great deal of stress in having to meet tight schedules
and stay alert up to 14 hours a day. Healthy sleep is also difficult to obtain
when sleeping in the cab. Unhealthy sleep patterns combined with high
rates of obesity can result in related sleep apnea issues. Few drivers have
a primary care physician due to the transient nature of the job and psycho-
social issues regarding drivers’ health. The occupation is, by design, very
sedentary in nature and a driver's external and social environment does not
promote a healthy lifestyle. Over 80% of drivers report unhealthy eating
habits and only 8% exercise regularly (Brewster June 2007). With little
access to healthy food or opportunity to exercise, and a compromised
overall social wellbeing on the road, drivers encounter tremendous barriers

2. to change, and demonstrate a health education gap as it relates to nutrition,
exercise and healthy habits.
Existing Regulatory Safeguards
To obtain a certified drivers license, commercial drivers must pass a
biannual Department of Transportation (DOT) Examination, which consists
of a comprehensive physical including assessment of medical history and
biometrics. To qualify for their license, drivers must meet a number of
baseline measures. The truck driver’s blood pressure must be 140/90 or
below. If the driver is diabetic, the disease must be well controlled generally
without insulin. The driver’s respiratory functions cannot interfere with
sleep. In addition, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(FMCSA) is beginning to require fleets to document their employees’ health
due to related safety issues. The Compliance Safety and Accountability Act
of 2010 will now require registration of DOT examiners to ensure quality
certification of a driver's health.
A New Option to Improve Driver's Health
In March of 2011, the Healthy Trucking Association of America (HTAA) and
the Convenient Care Association (CCA), along with Health Promotion
Solutions (HPS), will launch a new initiative focused on the health and
wellness of truck drivers across America. CCA members, including leading
organizations such as Walgreens / Take Care, CVS / Minute Clinic, and
Walmart, will offer DOT exams and ongoing wellness services for truck

3. drivers through a national network of more than 1000 clinics that comprise
the convenient care industry.
Convenient care clinics, also called retail clinics, have been shown to
provide access to care as well as clinical quality and affordability as
compared to urgent care and emergency rooms. They are currently located
in 35 states and the approximately 12,000 nurse practitioners and
physician assistants who work in the clinics are trained to offer screenings
and wellness resources to support driver's health. In addition to the DOT
exam, drivers and their families can use clinics for routine exams,
vaccinations, screenings and ongoing wellness needs such as smoking
cessation, weight loss and nutrition counseling.
The Healthy Trucking Association of America (HTAA) is the leading
authority on driver's health and will promote these new resources to its
membership, which includes the largest trucking fleets and state
associations, as well as hundreds of thousands of drivers themselves.
HTAA will offer specific wellness programs and tools to improve the health
of professional drivers through the convenient care clinics and through its
other marketing channels. HTAA will be launching its campaign with CCA
at their 3rd
Annual Healthy Trucking Summit in Atlanta, Georgia on March 1-
3, 2011. The summit will focus on drivers' health resources, case studies,
new government regulations, and will include an interactive health resource
fair for sponsors.
Support for HTAA and CCA
Health Promotion Solutions will be teaming up with the CCA and HTAA to
act as a resource to support the initiative, including implementation of the
DOT exams, provide evidence-based clinical guidelines for chronic
disease, and will coordinate educational resources from sponsoring
organizations. Examples include professional education training and
certification of clinic staff in areas such as health coaching, nutrition
assessment tools, and proper documentation of health outcomes. HPS is
also working closely with prescription drug, food and OTC companies that
have healthy products and services they will be marketing to the retail
clinics, and working with HTAA to direct the resources to the trucking
industry.

4. Making an Impact on Driver's Health
The need to improve the health of our nation's truck drivers is no longer an
option. It requires immediate attention and will involve "disruptive changes"
in the drivers’ work environment and within our healthcare system. The
environment for drivers must be conducive to good health. Truck stops and
fleet terminals must begin to offer healthy food products as well as health
kiosks and provide fitness equipment. Drivers' health education resources
should be more prevalent in these locations and should include
professional staff and health screenings. Also, new and improved
healthcare delivery models, such as convenient care clinics, will become a
new "medical home" to support Health and Wellness Programs for the
drivers themselves and their families. There are opportunities for
organizations focused on health and wellness products and solutions to
support these efforts through collaboration with the Convenient Care
Association, Healthy Trucking Association of America and Health
Promotion Solutions. For more information, contact
info@healthpromosolutions.com or visit
http://healthpromosolutions.com/ .