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Doug McMillan enjoys his career in the trucking industry, but it is not good for his health.
Key points:
- A new report from Monash University is believed to be the first to estimate the economic burden of health problems common in the trucking industry
- A researcher has urged solutions must be industry-led, and will save lives and money
- An Albury truck driver with 50 years experience says past efforts to address the problem have been unsuccessful
Mr McMillan has more than 50 years of experience as a driver and runs a small fleet in Albury, New South Wales.
He makes an effort to eat healthy food on the road, but he says, like other drivers, he struggles with obesity — one of a range of medical issues common among truck drivers.
"We're our own worst enemy," Mr McMillan said.
He said fast food restaurants were a drawcard for truck drivers.
In his experience, convenient meals such as steak and chips and roast beef rolls were staples when on the road.
Now Monash University researchers have estimated the true cost of this trend in what is believed to be the first-of-its-kind report.
It suggests the poor health of male Australian truck drivers will cause more than 6,000 worker deaths and cost $2.6 billion in lost productivity over the next decade.
Associate Professor Ross Iles, the program lead, said the transport industry must make a collective effort to address the issue.
"The numbers are pretty staggering," Dr Iles said.
"We describe it as making financial sense to not only focus on what's in the back of the truck but also focus on what's up front."
Previous Monash University research shows transport and logistics workers have worse health outcomes than people in other industries, especially musculoskeletal and trauma-related injuries.
Cardiovascular disease, obesity, and hypertension are also common — problems researchers attribute in part to long working hours, poor access to healthcare, and physical and mental stress.
Healthy eating initiatives unsuccessful
As an employer, a former industry representative on a peak body and a driver himself, Mr McMillan had been involved in projects encouraging truck drivers to improve their diet.
He said they failed to gain momentum.
"For years and years, we've been trying to get truck drivers to eat different food, and that hasn't been successful, I can tell you," Mr McMillian said.
"It's a pet thing of mine. We had eight to 10 drivers, and we used to try to get them to eat the right food, but it never worked."
Mr McMillan said the lifestyle took a bigger toll as drivers aged.
"As you get older, it starts to take its toll," he said.
"… A lot of people I know are in their late 60s, 70s and still driving — I'm one of them."
Dr Iles said there was no simple solution to the problem, but it required industrial reform.
"We can't just rely on our drivers to start being healthy and give them an app that might help them eat healthily and get their exercise in," he said.
"We also need the industry as a whole to work together to decrease some of the pressures that drivers face."