Let’s face it: Being a professional truck or bus driver is not always the healthiest job.
The combination of too much sitting, too little exercise and an unhealthy diet can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart conditions and more. That can make passing the DOT re-certification exam daunting.
How to get into shape and learning how to eat healthy on the road so a driver is fit to pass the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) physical requirements is a challenge. Unfortunately, driver health is not always a top priority.
In addition, with driver turnover soaring as high as 90% per year, commercial drivers must do whatever they can to protect their livelihoods.
As a driver, you need to make sure you are fit to pass. You may be one of the best CDL drivers, with great driving skills and a perfect record, but lack the knowledge or support, health-wise, to maintain your DOT qualification.
Don’t be afraid to reach out for support. There are resources that can help you; ask your carrier for help. Remember, after all, a carrier would rather “keep the drivers they know today before hiring the unknown drivers of tomorrow.”
There are year-round coaching programs designed to improve the health of professional drivers.
Look for one that provides help during the 90 days leading up to your DOT re-cert exam. This will help you kick into high gear, placing you in the best position to pass
Also, look for resources that have your best interest in mind. Look for licensed, professional coaches that can create customized behavioral plans to keep you on the road. Licensed coaches are trained in the behavioral change and motivation techniques necessary to help you overcome the barriers and challenges to developing sound health habits — and pass the DOT re-certification exam.
Here’s one last tip: Make sure the education you are receiving is extended to your family too. Feel free to reach out to me, Bob Perry, if you need some direction and support.
Known as The Trucker Trainer, Bob Perry has played a critical role in the paradigm shift of regulatory agencies, private and public sector entities, and consumers to understand the driver health challenge. Perry can be reached at [email protected].
Bob Perry is a regular contributor to The Trucker. He has spent nearly the past four decades on a mission to educate professional drivers and share life-changing products and services to help them live healthier lives while on the road. Recognized throughout the transportation industry, from bus drivers to over-the-road professional drivers, Perry has played an important role in creating a paradigm shift helping regulatory agencies, private and public sector entities, and consumers understand the current health challenges of the professional driver. He has participated as a wellness advocate in several roundtable discussions, large audience groups and small forums as well as going “curbside” through a national truck stop tour.
Bob’s articles have been featured in The Trucker and a number of other national transportation industry publications and is the host of a weekly wellness call produced by Rolling Strong. Bob has been a regular guest on RedEye Radio and Land-Line Radio, and is often an invited guest on Sirius radio shows. He has been featured in the New York Times, Men’s Health Magazine, Drug Store News, American Road Magazine, WSJ, NPR, ABC National Radio, as well as hundreds of daily newspapers. He has appeared on television news shows across the nation, including a featured TV segment on ABC NightLine News.
