CCJ Innovators profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking’s challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact CCJ Chief Editor Jason Cannon at [email protected] or 800-633-5953.
Results from a 2022 survey conducted by CCJ parent Randall Reilly for TruuSight Health showed that 36% of queried company drivers believe that drivers manage stress well, including only 1% that believe they handle it extremely well. More than half of respondents believe they handle it somewhat poorly or poorly.
In a traditional office setting, finding a mentor or confidant isn't necessarily difficult; you simply walk to an adjoining cubicle or swing through the human resources department. It can be far more difficult to find those shoulders to cry on, or sage words of wisdom, for drivers that spend most of their day isolated in a truck cab and are only tethered to office via electronic device.
"I think the reality is we all need resources like that in our lives," said American Central Transport (ACT) President Phil Wilt, "and probably in the trucking space, it is probably overlooked the most. Sometimes just having a person to listen, or a person that I can go to and say, 'I'm struggling with this' and they can speak truth to me."
Many Randall Reilly survey respondents (76%) said drivers experiencing a problem related to mental health would not be likely to seek help from a doctor or professional. Only 6% said drivers would seek help and another 16% were not sure. Only 16% were confident drivers experiencing problems related to mental health would even be able to find the level of help they needed. More than half said they were not confident they could, and another 32% were not sure.
Kansas City-based ACT last year decided to fill that gap by bringing on board a life coach who could be an emotional resource – or a confidant – for its employees.
ACT President Phil Wilt said his company prides itself on being a family.
