Step up and break the stereotype

You know the stereotype: Truckers eat too much, don’t exercise enough and die too young.

A quick look around your business and you likely see how the stereotype came about.

Nearly 40% of the people on this continent do no spare-time physical activity at all and no doubt that figure is probably higher within the trucking industry.

You’ve heard all the excuses, perhaps you’ve uttered them yourself: Trucking requires long hours behind the wheel or behind a desk, there is no time left for exercise.

The stress from the job leads to unhealthy eating habits and there are no healthy food options at truck stops anyway. You can’t exercise while on the road. And so on.

Over the past few years we’ve spent a lot of time talking about the unhealthy lifestyle in our industry and how it’s leading to illness and premature death for too many of our industry friends and associates.

But you know what? I’m tired of focusing on the failures. I don’t want to talk about the victims anymore. I want to focus instead on the successes; on the people in our industry who have the courage and determination to change their lives and on the companies who support them. I want to focus on the people who decide one day: screw the stereotype, we are going to forge a new, healthier path.

Like the hundreds of people currently participating in the Healthy Fleet Challenge, pushing themselves literally one step at a time to work physical activity into their daily lives. NAL Insurance has orchestrated this challenge for years now and my hat goes off to them and the dozens of participating fleets and industry suppliers.

The latest Challenge started in May and goes on all summer. Join us.

Sign up your company to participate. It’s free.

Just e-mail info@healthyfleet.com and they will get your team set up.

Looking for something more challenging? Try an obstacle course race like Delon and Nickisha Rashid from our sales team and I did during the first weekend in May. The Horseshoe Valley XMAN race – 7.2 kms straight up and down Horseshoe Valley Mountain with 40 military style obstacles – was sponsored by Tremcar. It was challenging, tiring and inspirational. What a novel way for Tremcar to support a new image for our industry.

There are races like these all over the country, at all levels so anyone can participate.

We’re signing up for the Spartan Race in July at the Ganaraska Forest. Would love to see people from the industry join us.

It really doesn’t matter what physical activity you choose. Just choose something. Break the stereotype.

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With more than 25 years of experience reporting on transportation issues, Lou is one of the more recognizable personalities in the industry. An award-winning writer well known for his insightful writing and meticulous market analysis, he is a leading authority on industry trends and statistics.


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