Health

IN PRINT — Better Safe than Sorry: Safety procedures are there to protect, not annoy

Tire irons and jacks are not worth a human life, yet a tire service technician in Whitehorse, Yukon died while retrieving his tools from under a truck he had been working on. The incident happened back in 2011, but it has stuck with me for years because the death was needless and could have easily been prevented - and also because I can't count how many times I have backed a truck out of a shop without first checking to make sure nobody was beneath it.

The Impact of Truck Driver Wellness Programs

It's logical to think that helping drivers improve their physical health and general well-being will make a dent in the runaway turnover rates now endemic at many motor carriers. Yet when executives at several large and respected long-haul fleets talk about why they rolled out driver health and wellness programs and why they keep investing in those initiatives, it's apparent they seek to achieve something more altruistic than merely quelling driver churn.

New Research Shows Summer Poses Added Risk for Drivers

LEICESTERSHIRE, UK -- Summer is in full swing, and the accompanying high temperatures might be carrying an added danger for drivers that you might not know about. A study released late this spring by Loughborough University in the UK reveals that even mild dehydration can be the equivalent of being over the drunk-driving limit in terms of driver errors. Yes, being behind even a little bit on the amount of fluids a trucker takes in each day can lead to increased risks for accidents and even the potential for financially damaging lawsuits that can follow a crash.

Researchers Need Your Help to Tackle Truck Driving Vibration

WATERLOO, ON -- Now is your opportunity to take part in a research study that aims to address a serious problem truckers face everyday, vibration in trucks and the seats drivers use. A collaborative effort between researchers at the University of Western Ontario and the University of Waterloo, along with the MFL Occupational Centre and the Manitoba Trucking Association, is looking for both fleets and drivers that will allow them measure the vibration in trucks along different Manitoba roadways while comparing different types of seats. There is clear evidence that long-term seated exposure to whole body vibration (WBV) leads to low back pain and disability, according to Nicolette Carlan, project coordinator at the University of Waterloo.