Two initiatives, one from the OzHelp Foundation (OzHelp) and another from Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds (HHTS) Foundation are increasing the emphasis on wellbeing in trucking by looking at health issues in the trucking industry.
OzHelp
To coincide with the upcoming launch of their new truck driver health program, OzHelp has published a review which draws on national and international research findings into the poor health outcomes of heavy vehicle drivers. Meanwhile, HHTS is to partner with Griffith University in a research project funded by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC) to better understand mental health and wellbeing within the transport and logistics sector.
OzHelp has been funded through the Commonwealth Government’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI), administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) to develop a health and wellbeing program for owner driver truck drivers.
The program ‘Health in Gear’ will shortly commence its pilot phase and is informed by the findings of a review., which found the sedentary nature of the occupation combined with poor diet and a lack of exercise puts drivers at a higher risk of obesity and developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, mental-ill health, and cardiovascular health issues.
HHTS
According to HHTS, the need for a comprehensive investigation into mental health within the road transport and logistics industry is long overdue with nearly one in two workers experiencing a mental health issue.
This includes some 13.3 per cent of Australian heavy vehicle drivers demonstrating some sign of depression, while those who have in fact been clinically diagnosed, being seven times more likely to have been involved in a road crash.
The project will involve survey interviews with voluntary participant drivers from Linfox and Woolworths Group in both regional and metro distribution centres across Queensland. The research will investigate the positive and negative impacts of operational factors, such as loading and unloading issues, workplace communication and time scheduling along with workplace stress. Outcomes from this research will be used to inform mental health strategies within the transport and logistics sector and improve the safety and wellbeing of drivers and distribution centre personnel.
