Recent advances in professional truck driver health and wellness research: review

This paper is a summary of selected recent findings and research in progress. Sources include current literature, trucking stakeholders, and others. An overview of the state of the art of driver health-related research is presented, research needs identified, and recommendations made. Priorities include studies of the relationships between work organization, driver wellness, exercise, and related topics. These issues may be viewed through the public health model, often used to address occupational health and safety concerns. Recent studies suggest that work organization affects performance. Related factors in the commercial trucking environment may adversely impact driver well-being, increase lack of fitness and susceptibility to chronic illness, cause anxiety about and exposure to violence, increase fatigue and inattention, and perhaps reduce quality of life and longevity. These factors may consequently increase risk of crashes. In turn, recruitment and retention may decrease aggravating the existing driver shortage. Appropriate well-designed collaborative intervention-evaluation research is needed to clarify these issues. Real world improvements in driver health and wellness can be achieved by translating the results into practice.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Pagination: 49-55
  • Monograph Title: Final proceedings: International Truck and Bus Safety and Security Symposium, November 14-16, 2005, Alexandria, Virginia, USA

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01388641
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: ARRB
  • Files: ATRI
  • Created Date: Aug 23 2012 1:10AM