5 Ways to Address Health and Wellbeing in the Transportation Industry

5 Ways to Address Health and Wellbeing in the Transportation Industry

3. Promote a healthy diet.

There can be serious difficulties maintaining a healthy diet while on the job, especially for long-haul truckers,
crew members on ships, pilots and flight attendants.

A U.S. study found truckers have higher obesity, diabetes and cholesterol rates than the national
average.6 A similar
study of 404 long-haul truckers in Germany, a key transport hub, revealed nearly 46 percent were overweight and 30
percent obese. They consumed more energy drinks, sausages and canned foods on the road than at home.

To combat unhealthy eating habits while on the job and enhance productivity within their workforce, employers can
organize a variety of initiatives — from organizing seminars on healthy lifestyle practices to partnering with
vendors to provide meal discounts at airports or truck stops for long-haul truckers. There are also a variety of
sustainable weight management services employers can offer through supplemental health benefits, ranging from
lifestyle support to medication.

4. Ensure physical activity is available and encouraged.

While the transportation industry is often seen as physically demanding, many workers have sedentary lifestyles that
lead to health issues such as high blood pressure, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Keeping up with a fitness
routine can prove difficult on board a vessel, truck, plane or oil rig. Truckers, for example, are often unaware of
where they can safely stop to exercise, or they feel pressure to continue driving to meet tight deadlines.

Employers should recognize the connection between physical fitness and job performance and consider ways to encourage
a healthy lifestyle. This may include outfitting work conditions with space to move aboard vessels or making it
easier to know where it is safe and convenient to stop for exercise. Wearable technology has become more accessible
and affordable, improving the ability to track health goals and health-related metrics like blood pressure and heart
rate. Some employers are even collaborating with fitness companies to offer access to discounted memberships aimed at
improving drivers’ health and wellness.7 One such initiative can provide personalized daily workouts
through an app that considers each driver’s current fitness level, with exercises that can be performed inside or
outside the truck, or even at home. The app also offers a habit-based nutrition coach that works with drivers to
help them lose weight and increase energy by finding healthier food options on the road at any food outlet.

5. Address chronic sleep loss.

Transportation workers frequently experience irregular and interrupted sleep, which can lead to fatigue, insomnia and
various sleep-related issues. Sleep deprivation causes higher accident and injury rates, as well as lower job
performance. Recent research finds automobile crashes are influenced by demographics and health factors, including
age, gender, lower back pain, heart conditions, stress, sleep conditions, diabetes and obesity. As a result,
commercial motor vehicle drivers are considered at high risk or vulnerable within society.8

Airline workers deal with similar sleep-related problems, with factors such as loss of sleep, disruptions in their
circadian rhythm and heavy workload contributing to fatigue. These issues can cause impaired alertness, decreased
performance and long-term health issues.9 Long shifts, often with irregular hours, are likely responsible
for some of the drowsiness, fatigue, and compromised mental and physical health seen in the aviation
sector.10

Employers should assess and track chronic sleep fatigue, which is particularly relevant to claim losses in industries
such as aviation and trucking. Businesses that do will secure more investment for initiatives aimed at ensuring
employees get the necessary rest, including recovery sleep after extended shifts, to maintain their job performance
and overall safety.

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