Choose health, truckers urged

On-road habits driving changes

Leanne Kamps, a human resources generalist at Maverick USA, leads a wellness class for the company’s new truck drivers. Sitting behind the wheel and eating at fast-food restaurants leads to health problems for many truck drivers.
Leanne Kamps, a human resources generalist at Maverick USA, leads a wellness class for the company’s new truck drivers. Sitting behind the wheel and eating at fast-food restaurants leads to health problems for many truck drivers.

Carolee Moore and her husband, Bobby, packed their belongings, put them in storage in Las Vegas and began their adventure together in long-haul trucking four years ago.

It wasn't a big change for Bobby, who did plenty of driving on the West Coast. But life on the road was a new experience for Carolee, who runs her own business, and it didn't take long to become familiar with one of the trucking industry's biggest challenges.

"We were eating fast food and truck stop food," said Moore, whose husband works for IWX Motor Freight, which is based in Springfield, Mo. "And that just went downhill quickly and I started developing gall bladder problems. That's when I just opened my eyes."

Moore, like so many others, came face-to-face with the health problems that plague a profession where drivers spend hours sitting behind the wheel. The part-time blogger for a website called TheHealthyTrucker.net has since developed her own methods to maintain a healthy lifestyle on the road since the scare, but knows others aren't as fortunate.

A recent study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health revealed that 69 percent of long-haul truck drivers were obese, 54 percent smoked, and 88 percent had at least one risk factor for chronic disease. Driver health is one of the 10 "critical issues" in the trucking industry as well, according to a 2014 survey prepared by the American Transportation Research Institute.

It's no surprise considering the sedentary nature of the profession, where finding time to exercise and ways to maintain healthy eating habits aren't easy. But because of success stories like Moore, trucking companies and others invested in the industry are working to raise awareness and promote avenues for healthier living on the road.

"My personal philosophy is to get people access to tools and information that if they want to, they can utilize," said Tiffany Senavinin, human resources director at Maverick USA in North Little Rock said. "We can make a difference, give them information that improves their lives with their family, their overall happiness, their productivity at work, which will increase their earning potential for their families. Then, I think we've done the right thing by everybody."

Senavinin and Leanne Kamps, who is human resources generalist at Maverick, are doing so as part of the company's Driver Wellness Team. The group formed a year ago as an extension of the wellness class Kamps teaches during orientation at Maverick. The wellness team has been busy developing tips and tools that emphasize health for drivers and are being rolled out piece-by-piece at Maverick.

The first was a video featuring Jayme Mayo, the wellness director at Nabholz Construction who was a panelist on former President Bill Clinton's Health Matters Initiative for Central Arkansas in 2013. She agreed to participate in a video Maverick shows to new drivers, going to a local Pilot Flying J Travel Center to highlight healthy food options.

Maverick also is putting together a cookbook divided into sections for cooking at home and in trucks, which can be equipped with refrigerators, microwaves and slow cookers.

"I think that got a lot of responses just because it's going to be put together with people here at Maverick and it's going to focus, not just on cooking, but ways to do it on the road," Kamps said. "Everyone can make ramen noodles. But here's some things to add to it and you've got much more of a well-balanced meal. And it's something you can do right there in your truck."

Kamps said Maverick is getting a valuable assist from former driver Ken Moore, who spent three years on the road before recently moving into a role in driver retention with the company. Ken Moore is not related to Carolee and Bobby Moore.

Ken Moore said reaching out to drivers in orientation is a good step, but continuing to connect with them while they're on the road is even more important. One of his ideas was a hit with Maverick, suggesting the company help drivers put together shopping lists to further encourage healthy choices.

"Our biggest concern is trying to be safe and not hitting anyone or anybody," Ken Moore said. "So we don't even consider food. It's so far out of our minds. It's, 'I'm going to drive and I'm going to go straight down the road. And that's all I want to do.' I've seen people who have just loaded their trucks with canned beans because they can't think about how to feed themselves."

Eating healthy is just one part of the challenge. Exercise often becomes an afterthought as well, even though there are numerous stories highlighting drivers who bring weights with them on the road or use their trucks as mobile gyms. Carolee Moore said her husband uses a resistance band for exercise, while she has found enough room in the truck to do squats, jump rope or simply run in place.

It can be even simpler to others who aren't as motivated, according to Derek McClain, who works at Driver Solutions in Indianapolis and is the co-founder of TheHealthyTrucker.net.

McClain said drivers can start small by simply parking at the back of the lot to get some exercise or walk laps around their trucks. By his calculations, 32 to 36 laps around a truck is a mile. McClain, who also is the member of a Facebook group consisting of drivers and other industry employees called "Truckin' Runners," tells drivers the key is making time to get in some form of exercise on the road.

"If you don't think about your health it can be something that just gets away from you," McClain said. "What we're trying to do is prevent them from reaching the point where you have that serious wake-up call, whether it's being diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, things that could end your career. Just kind of thinking about it and doing little things that make a big difference.

Tom Liutkus, vice president for marketing and public relations for TravelCenters of America, said the company is doing its part to provide some exercise options as well. In addition to providing healthier food options in restaurants, TravelCenters have been installing indoor gyms, outdoor workout areas, walking trails or basketball courts for drivers at its locations.

Liutkus said the company's goal is to ensure at least one type of fitness option is available to drivers at every location in the near future to help promote health in the industry. He said the TravelCenter in Earle, which is near West Memphis, has a walking trail and is equipped with an indoor workout room.

"Drivers get sick and when they don't drive, they don't earn," Liutkus said. "So often times they have to get out of driving because bills pile up. For us, it's linking up something that's both personally important to that driver, but also important to the trucking industry and the image of the trucking industry and the importance of safety and all of that."

Burton Weis, USA Truck's vice president of human resources, said the only way to tackle the problem is by promoting a healthy lifestyle. He said the Van Buren-based company does so with programs like blood drives and health fairs. USA Truck also highlights drivers who with success stories and offer employees and spouses with online health assessments, which result in savings in their premiums.

"The industry as a whole has seen more drivers with sleep apnea, which is primarily caused by obesity," Weis said. "Diabetes is another huge health concern. Just tackling those two items with healthy choices and exercise is a significant savings. No matter what carrier they work for."

Ultimately, it's up to the driver. Some heed warnings, follow advice and craft ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle on the road. Others won't listen until it's necessary because of a serious medical event or the loss of a health certificate, which is required for drivers on the road.

Carolee Moore admitted it's a learning process, but said her own health issues served as a valuable wake-up call. Moore and her husband are committed to "eating clean" and getting 15 to 30 minutes of exercise a day in their life on the road.

"It takes some creativity and determination, but it's possible," Moore said.

SundayMonday Business on 03/15/2015

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