Programs strive to help truckers get healthy

Truckers have most fatalities
Government numbers say the trucking industry has the most fatalities of all occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says truck drivers account for nearly 15 percent of all worker deaths in the most recent data available, from 2005. (The death rate per 100,000 is higher for other occupations.) Of those trucker deaths, 80 percent involved traffic accidents, the bureau said.

Truck drivers also report more injuries, such as sprains, than workers in any other category, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Many of them unload the goods they carry, risking back injuries.

The medical review board of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will discuss updating medical guidelines at a meeting this month, but any changes are at least a year away, officials said.

Meanwhile, the Teamsters union wants to ensure that truckers don't lose their jobs if health rules are tightened, said Lamont Byrd, director of safety and health for the union.

"We see some real changes coming down the pipe that suggests the bar may be raised," he said.

Truckers pose unique challenges when it comes to improving health, said Ilene Masser, director of such a program for faculty and staff at New York University Medical Center. They sit for long periods, are out on their own, eat a lot of fast food and most of them are men, who often need more prodding than women to make changes, she said.

Changes are worth it. About three-quarters of employers with at least 1,000 workers have a wellness program, she said. And for every dollar invested, they get about $3.14 back, including savings on health care costs and added productivity.

William Rundle is one of the drivers for Schneider National who benefited from his company's aggressive effort to treat sleep apnea.

"It's wonderful to be able to function during the day now," he said, adding that he has more energy and makes his deliveries on time. He said his company has also persuaded him to quit smoking and eat better.

Temptation on the road
In the past year he's trimmed 15 pounds from his formerly 300-pound, 5-foot-7 frame. It's difficult, he said. He wants to eat salads but they often come with hard-to-resist cheese and bacon. He wants to exercise but counts few safe places to walk close to the highway.

"You don't see very many truck drivers that look like they're in good shape. We're just like anybody else," said Rundle, 43, who lives in Woodbourne, N.Y.

For at least seven years, Schneider has worked to improve drivers' health. Twice a year, the company takes a "discomfort" survey on driving ergonomics and aches and pains. Physical therapists follow up with drivers to address problems before they become severe.

Krueger, the Transportation Research Board psychologist, said younger drivers know more about healthy behaviors because they've heard it in school. But the problem lies in convincing the drivers already on the road that they need to exercise, see a doctor regularly and eat better. He has spent decades researching occupational medicine and he's heard all sorts of excuses, especially from drivers.

"My favorite line is, 'Dr. Krueger, I get off work at 3 in the morning. You want me to go to Gold's Gym and do what?'"

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