Driver Health Walk

Our organization The Trucking Solutions Group Drivers Health Council has been working very hard with Driver Health and other organizations to have the first fun walk at MATS.  We have been having weekly conference calls for several months finalizing arrangements and we have some great sponsors I want to start sharing.

Our main sponsors are HTAA (Healthy Trucking Association of America), MATS (Mid America Trucking Show), Ramp Media, and Driver Health Magazine.  Without this main group of sponsors there would be no need for any sponsors and the walk would not be happening!  Scott Kinley, and Owner Operator Tanker Yanker leased to Landstar, came up with the idea for a Health Group.  Scott knew that a few of us, including himself, have been focusing on our health and he thought we should get together to share information.  I was discussing information about our group with my youngest daughter, Brandy, and she said "You know you guys all go to the huge truck show. Why not have the group sponsor a walk?" Neither she nor I had any clue what the words would start!  Our first step was to contact Driver Health Magazine and editor Andy Shefsky, and this turned into a snowball that has not quit rolling. Andy's father, Marvin, contacted MATS who stepped up to the plate with insurance and an area to walk and even a room for a pre and post warm up and cool down area.  The walk is not about raising money; the walk is about bringing recognition to drivers' health.  I hope to see lots of drivers walking as well as anyone involved in the trucking industry.  Together we can raise the median are of a drivers life expectancy up from 61!

Check out the sponsors and register here:

http://driverhealth.org/DH/HealthWalk.cfm

Why as an industry do we almost always shun change

Change is a part of life and if we do not change with the times we soon will be no more. We are always looking for ways to improve our business and our lives.  It is hard for me to imagine having in my life without a goal.

When I talk to drivers about what the good old days were like,  I am amazed by their replies. In some areas of their lives they were treated with respect and they always stopped and helped out any stranded motorist. In other ways they had a very rough life. I am very spoiled as I expect a lot out here on the road. I do not want to run like the outlaws by avoiding scales, using drugs, to stay awake and in reality driving their lives away. I want my cell phone and my QUALCOMM, I do not want to stop at all pay phones and have to stand out in the cold while waiting for a dispatcher to pick up the phone and tell me nope no loads. I like our 96" sleeper with the many amenities we have such as large refrigerator, microwave, oak floor, and lots of cabinets, small sink, and a large bed. Living in a truck with no air conditioning and a coffin sleeper is unimaginable to me and I have nothing but respect for the guys that did it.  We have a truck that has no problems with mountains and when I have talked to the older truckers they talk about walking up hills beside their trucks as they lumbered along.  Without change where would we be now?

Roadside Medical

 

I wrote an essay on why I would like to be chosen to be one of the participants in the Women in Trucking and Bob Perry, The Trucker Trainer Health Challenge. I was lucky enough to be one of the ten finalists. I have been working on losing weight for the past year but...

I lost weight steadily until about November and I came to a standstill.  I could not get past that plateau no matter what I did.  When I read about the Health Challenge I was very intrigued as one one of the benefits is to get to work with Bob Perry.  Bob is very familiar with truckers' lifestyles and our sedentary ways.  As a finalist we get to work with Bob weekly on exercise and nutrition which has given me great insight.  We also get to try out the Driver Body Fuel Kit which consists of a Protein Shake, Vitamins, Power Bars, nutritional charts and a nice bag to carry all of this in.  I have found that the Protein Shake in the morning boosts my energy and gives my mornings a kick start. In the afternoon when I get a bit drowsy I have a Honey Cashew power bar and I am ready to go again. Bob has looked over what I have eaten in the past and made suggestions going forward and he has analyzed my workout given me additional suggestions to better tone and get more out of my workouts.  Knowing what I know now I would have been much farther ahead if I would have started this program last year when I made the decision to get healthier and to lose weight. I feel as if all ten of us finalists will win in this situation as we have the additional support and direction of someone who understands we cannot go to the gym each week, who have crazy working hours, and never know what city or situation we will be in next.