How has trucking effected your health?

Run flatbed. I have an anytime fitness membership and park at one at least 3 times a week. The showers are awesome and get a workout in before heading back on the road. Make it habitual. Never enter truckstops. Mudflap fuel at small stops. Meal prep all my meals. No breads, sugars or pasta.

 

How? Most of the Anytime Fitnesses in my area are in strip malls that would not be friendly to a truck.

 

Local driver, flatbed. I do a lot of repetitive motions and have noticed some pain in my right shoulder and wrist. Not bad but it's new since I started the job. I have tinnitis in my right ear from all the metal on metal noise. I do wear ear plugs now which has stopped it getting worse. After I got my CDL my coffee intake doubled. Recently I realized the caffeine was affecting my mood and relationships at work, and wasn't even helping me be more alert honestly. It was just an addiction. I've been off caffeine for the last 6 weeks and my mental health has improved. Should have kicked it earlier.

 

I agree... if they were able to provide gym discounts, would you find time to go? Do you think most truckers would take advantage of those programs?

 

Have you thought about vitamins and supplements that are specific to your conditions?

 

Actually, all three. The article is a preamble to programs I would like to implement for all truckers. But first, I want to hear from the veterans on the road... what issues they are having. Just recently, I read an article that stated if you're dehydrated enough, it can have the same reaction time of driving intoxicated at .08%. Many truckers don't drink enough water on the road, so I'm exploring other issues.

 

Actually both. What has the job of being a trucker done (if anything) that you've noticed about your physical, mental or emotional health?

 

If someone stayed OTR.... what would you imagine they could do to stay healthy?

 

Do you see any possibility of solutions for those issues? What do you feel can be done, while still trucking, that could reverse those problems?

 

Great response, thank you.