Expediting and Health

RichM · Feb 25, 2008

Over the years I have frequently wondered as to the effect that the expediting industry has on a drivers health. Lets face it,we don't always eat right,sure as hell don't sleep right,push on when exhausted,you get the picture.
In addition there is a fair amount of stress that goes along with the job,obviously picking up and delivering in a scheduled time frame, but also the stress that comes waiting on a load offer,being away from home when problems occur,unexpected repair bills and so on. Many drivers put on weight due to lack of exercise and poor eating habits.

So hopefully I will get this poll up and just ask the EO community if you feel your overall health has suffered. I have a cousin who is a Physician in NJ and one time I described the life style to him and he said he wouldn't give it more then 10 years.

ATeam · Feb 25, 2008

Our health has improved since we got out of our white collar careers and into expediting. We know this because we are sick less often. We miss nowhere near the time from work due to colds and flu that we used to.

Stress levels are lower too. Compared to what we used to do, every day still feels like a weekend since we got into expediting. If blood pressure is an indicator, expediting is good for us. It is lower now than it was when we first took up life on the road. Trucking is an amazing job. After just 11 hours of work, they require you to take time off to sleep. We had no such luxury in our old jobs.

In our old jobs, we had an employer-provided medical plan. Now, as self-employed professionals responsible for our own health care and retirement benefits, we are more proactive than we usd to be. We get complete physical exams once a year hoping to detect any problems early instead of late. Our doctors gave us clean bills of health from our most recent exams.

We did gain weight after a year in the truck. We lost it now mostly by getting the snack foods out of the truck. Finding the willpower to exercise on a regular basis is the same challenge we had before. But the opportunity to exercise is there. We have developed a number of techniques to exercise in the truck and on the road.

Oh yeah. Diane made me quit my cigar smoking when we moved into the truck. Around the house it was OK. But in the truck's tight quarters, it would not be.

We also drink less because alcohol is a bad idea on the road, and prohibited in the truck.

Some of this may not make sense to some truckers whose health has not improved. In trucks we used to drive that had basic factory sleepers, maintaining a healthy lifestyle was more difficlut. But in our custom-built sleeper, we sleep better because the bed is more comfortable and the ride more smooth. We eat better because we have better kitchen facilities.

We even breathe better because the comforts of home we have in the sleeper, like a bathroom, eliminates the need to park at truck stops for long periods; thereby eliminating the need to breathe truck stop air, inside and out.

Finally, the truck we are in now is not as tiresome to drive. That makes a big difference in how we feel at the end of our shifts and long runs. We don't get beat up by the long runs like we used to when we were getting bounced around in less comfortable trucks.

davekc · Feb 25, 2008

Oh yeah. Diane made me quit my cigar smoking when we moved into the truck. Around the house it was OK. But in the truck's tight quarters, it would not be.

Buy her a Cuban and smoke outside.

truckwife · Feb 25, 2008

Rich M,i Think This Is A Very Important And Serious Topic. My Husband And I Have Been In The Trucking Industry For 7 Yrs. We Both Were In Good Health Then. Since Then I've Had Gallbladder Surgery And Of Course Weight Gain Which Probably Cause That. My Husband Just Had A Heart Attack 3 Weeks Ago.the Docter Told Me That He Has Had Alot Of Patient's That Were Husband And Wife Team Driver's In Expediting That Had Heart Problems Due To Life On The Road.yes, I Our Overall Health Has Suffered,but Its Never To Late To Make A

greg334 · Feb 25, 2008

So I guess if you are asking if we are killing ourselves by doing this job??

Well yes.

This is one of the most stressing jobs I have yet to have.

I won't bore you with the reasons why, I already wrote 5 pages for my web site and posted (I think) about my choices and how I can improve things - four words Asian food, Bento boxes.

RichM · Feb 26, 2008

Perhaps J Jensn could do an article about this for the Magazine

terryandrene · Feb 27, 2008

This is interesting that Expediting has adversely contributed to 71% of us having poorer health than when we started, yet will stay in this crazy business.

ebsprintin · Feb 27, 2008

The answer I gave my doctor was that I am on track to be in the worst shape of my life. I ran a marathon in 2003 before getting into the truck. Couple weeks ago I couldn't even make it a mile. I've never been not able to run a mile since probably the third grade. I'm a feather-weight and still don't have problem with weight, because I'm fortunate to have a metabolism that still adjusts to my work load and my appetite adjusts accordingly. My problem is that I need to stay strong to keep the ailments away (not just "barely fit"). The schedule and environment is not conducive to good health. I've worked in offices and in the field and been able to incorporate heavy lifting--can't do it here. I've set up a mini gym in the van, but it isn't the same thing.

As for the thing about colds and flu's mentioned above, I think the isolation of the truck and more time outside the cubical are greater contributors to not catching the bugs. Friends from a war zone said no one ever got sick during the worst conditions of the war. After the war, holes in the walls are patched, heaters turned back on, go back to the office and everyone starts catching the bug again.

ejtrucker · Feb 27, 2008

PLEASE!!!
Most of what you have indicated is not a result of driving but poor choices from the individual.

One chooses not to exercise, to eat poorly. And by choosing to not get physical activity and eat poorly, and other good health altering habits, add fuel to stress.

Just getting 20 minutes of increased heart rate activity can greatly reduce stress and help one acquire a good nite sleep.

As drivers we actually have more freedom to get out and do something. If you are a team there is small cardiovascular exercise equipment that can be easily stored when not in use so if you are running hard and cannot get out and walk or stop in a gym then improvise. Since the cold weather has been here I have taken to going to a gym, as I mentioned in a previous post. $10 for a workout is not bad since there are showers and some health clubs have pools and other amenities that really are nice and take the stress away, no matter what your occupation.

There are so many healthy meals that can be prepared in a microwave and because we are not burning the calories we need less, so eat less, it is not hard to figure that one out.

If you have let your health go and have put on a lot of weight, see your doc. before starting anything. But do not use it as an excuse!!! I have heard so many people in my life time who use their job as an excuse to their poor health, when it is the individual’s lack of enthusiasm until they are face with major health issues and needing to make a change. Now some of us have the inherited health issues such as high BP and cholesterol, that is even more reason to get in the work-out mode.

When it is nice out, I walk, and then I keep some hand weights to keep the arms tone. I actually lose weight when I am driving because I do not eat as much. I love to cook, and for obvious reasons the truck is not the ideal kitchen.

America is one of; if not the number one country with obesity as a major health problem in the young and old. It is too easy to go through the drive through and why not super size it, I mean they are using better oil to fry the fries right. NOT

Getting started is the hardest thing, but once you do it is such a great feeling to slip into those jeans and have extra room, or not be embarrassed to take off your shirt on a summer day.
.

ATeam · Feb 27, 2008

terryandrene said:
This is interesting that Expediting has adversely contributed to 71% of us having poorer health than when we started, yet will stay in this crazy business.

Life itself is a terminal condition. Before long, every one of us will be dead as a door nail. Live like you mean it.

ejtrucker · Feb 27, 2008

think of how many people light up after reading the warning on the box!!
LOL

greg334 · Feb 27, 2008

"America is one of; if not the number one country with obesity as a major health problem in the young and old. "

We are no longer number one, England, Mexico and other countries are just now beating us. Japan for a while was behind us but they instituted a pretty good program called shokuiku or food education with in the population and helped increase healthy eating habits with the 30 to 50 age group - something we really need here.

It is not just expediting, although this part of the industry actually is better, it really is main stream trucking and the stress that goes along with it because of the problems we face.

ThibodeauxBayou · Feb 28, 2008

greg334 said:
We are no longer number one, England, Mexico and other countries are just now beating us.

You are incorrect. Actually, you're not even close.

As reported by Forbes:

redytrk · Feb 28, 2008

First 5 years...Stress level Down, Blood pressure Down.(Hurray! Executive stress bye bye)
Second 5 years...Muscles turn to Jello.(Lack of exercise)
Third 5 years...Cholesterol through the roof (Truck stop food)
Fourth 5 years... Prostate from all that bouncing in the saddle.

Having said that, new Dr. has me back on track. Cholesterol down (Omega 3)
Weight Down...No more TS food. (Weight Watchers frozen dinners. Exercise up...Walking and a bar to pull up and down on in the sleeper.

Broompilot · Mar 4, 2008

Nemo XM 171 Thursdays dedicates one full hour 10 - 11 on this topic alone. There is an excellent program to help you get back into shape. Habbits are forming out here and lazyness is one of them, everyone of us suffers from it according to the Posts written here, me included.

Now let me run to the Gym, or maybee tommorow see what I mean.

Serious, listen to this show if your serious, I made one change since the start of the year and have only broke it once, I do not eat before bed anymore, results 12lbs lost, another 10 and I will be back in the lower 160s.