Heavy Duty Trucking, October 2019

OCTOBER 2019 HDT 37 WWW TRUCKINGINFO COM hen looking at truck driver health we often focus on poor diet lack of exercise and irregular sleep as the main culprits We can try to educate and inspire drivers around these areas but we cant control them One thing we can control however is creating a company culture of touch Thats right I said touch Human touch is far more profound and connected to our mental and physical well being than most of us think or realize Recent research studies show that touch is truly fundamental to communication bonding and health It is a form of expressing compassion Touch including petting an animal has also been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease boost the immune system and even improve concentration and learning While scientists are still discovering how and why touch impacts health they are certain that there is a significant connection between touch and better health In 1944 the U S government performed a research experiment to find out if human touch was important for the development of babies Four months into the study half the babies that were not given human touch beyond the basic needs of being wiped and fed had died Fortunately the experiment was canceled This study along with several others in the 1950s and 1960s led to many more studies more ethical and humane ones that further support the notion that more touch leads to better health When we consider how little touch many truck drivers receive whether its because of time spent alone being away from family for long periods of time or simply how many drivers struggle with touch for various other reasons we can see that this is a real challenge that is negatively impacting the health of our drivers What can we do about it First its crucial that our industry recognize this issue as a real and critical problem From there we can create a culture of touch in our organizations and begin to make impactful changes A simple step is to educate all team members on the importance of touch whether theyre on the orientation team work in the shop are driver managers executives and everyone in between on the importance of touch Follow this up by encouraging a culture in your organization where an employee always shakes the hand of a driver when they see them If they feel its appropriate adding a light tap on the upper arm or shoulder can increase the impact Obviously it is important to distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate touch Another way to increase touch for drivers is to encourage them to get soft tissue or deep tissue massages once a month or at least every other month whether it be offering massage at truck terminals providing discounts with national chains or encouraging through incentives This will not only help with mental and physical well being but also with musculoskeletal problems that often plague long haul truck drivers You can even encourage pets as companions for truck drivers Along with battling loneliness and depression petting your furry companion has similar benefits as human touch On a final note touch releases Oxytocin nicknamed the trust or love hormone In an era where many drivers do not trust their employer or carrier this can go a long way to building lasting and healthy relationships Drivers need the magic touch Sergio Rojas Driver Wellness Advisor srojas@ truckinginfo com DRIVER WELLNESS W Sergio a 2018 HDT Truck Fleet Innovator has over 21 years of experience as a personal trainer nutritionist and health coach Certified in a variety of nutrition and fitness disciplines he holds a bachelors degree in psychology was a health expert for NBC for 11 years and today heads up wellness efforts for Hirschbach Transportation He can be reached at srojas@ truckinginfo com Human touch is far more profound and connected to our mental and physical well being than most of us think or realize