Is this stress, anxiety, depression?  

We're not telling you anything you don't already know.  To many, commercial truck driving may seem glamourous, especially long-haul - out on the open road, a chance to see the country. 

Work stresses can affect

• health:  increased in chronic fatigue, sleeping problems, high blood pressure, weight gain/obesity, diabetes, heart attacks
• relationships with family and friends
• enjoyment of life!

Long-Haul driving is actually one of the deadliest professions (Bureau of Labor Statistics).  There are efforts to improve the work conditions and reduce the safety and health risks but many remain.  There are incentives for overly tight scheduling, unpaid work and rates that are below cost recovery which create additional stress for the driver.  Despite the limits on driving hours, the hours are long.  The pressure is on the trucker at the bottom with minimal accountability at the top of the chain;  cutting corners can force the driver to take risks. 

Short-haul driving has it's stressors - time demands, work, dealing with traffic and other drivers, loading and unloading.

Office staff have their own set of stresses that come with working with the drivers, the trucks, the clients and the regulations.  

Connection with family, friends and peers is important part of being healthy - they create a buffer against the negative effects of stress in general and especially at work.  But drivers are isolated from  family, friends and peers much of the time. 

The good news is there are ways to tackle these challenges with a little creativity  and the help of the internet and modern technology.