Stay Safe & Healthy on the Road: Steering Your Health Blog

The reality is…

Written by: Toby Bogard on May 21st, 2013

8,700,000 Class A CDL drivers on the road today.

4,872,000 of us are overweight.

3,410,000 are obese.

These numbers are current, they are REAL, and quite frankly they should scare the blazes out of any trucker on the road today. It’s true that trucking is a lifestyle and honestly the lifestyle is killing us one combo meal at a time. Our job for the most part has very little physical activity attached to it. Our fatigue is primarily caused by mental and phsychological exertion while driving America’s highways and byways. So how do we combat this lifestyle we all love so much? It’s not easy but it can be done. I’m living proof. Working out on the road takes dedication and a whole lot of commitment. It can take many forms from the INSANITY workout I did on the road to simply walking 3-5 times a week. There are a few simple things to keep in mind once you decide to make the commitment to working out.

First, keep in mind that to effectively lose weight you’ve got to raise your metabolism, which increases your bodies thermogenic process. You do that through diet and exercise. Losing weight requires that you burn more calories than you take in. Driving a truck eleven hours a day makes that hard. Here are some things you can do to start your journey towards a healthier trucking lifestyle.

Regardless what form your workout takes, you’ve got to make sure you exercise a minimum of 20 minutes every session. If you exercise for less, all your doing is burning muscle. You don’t start burning fat until after you pass the 20 minute mark. Make sure you stretch for a few minutes before and after you workout. Drink plenty of water before, during and after your workout. The key is raising your heart rate which over time increases your metabolism and that’s when you start to lose weight.

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t “see” results in the first couple of weeks. On average it takes approximately 2-4 weeks before you begin to “feel” a difference, 6-8 weeks before you will start to “see” a difference, and roughly 12 weeks before others will see the difference in you physically. To increase your progress, add some resistance to your workout. For example if your walking, carry soup cans or maybe gallon jugs of oil. The key is to always keep moving, even if you have to slow down KEEP MOVING.

Being consistant is ultra important. Find a support group of other drivers and keep each other accountable. There are an abundance of organizations and groups out there geared towards helping drivers get healthy. Online searches or on Facebook will turn up lots of results. Feel free to leave a question or comment below. We are here to help.

As always, this is the Truck-Writer and I am 10-10 on the side.

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Workout at a Terminal Near You

Written by: Katlin Owens on May 14th, 2013

If a stop to a Con-way Truckload terminal is in your future, which it most likely is, be sure to grab some time for a workout. Most drivers know that our terminal facilities include laundry rooms and break rooms, but four out of our five terminals have a gym facility on-site, accessible 24/7 with your employee key card.

Lancaster, West Memphis and Taylor all have small exercise rooms. The Laredo facility in Texas, while it does not have a workout room, it has over 40 manicured acres where drivers are welcomed and encouraged to walk – fresh air and exercise. Truckload Headquarters in Joplin has a large workout facility and even a small basketball court to shoot some hoops.

Scared of the unknown? Don’t be. See some images of service center facilities below. And don’t forget, when you are on the road, 32 laps around a semi equals 1 mile!

Joplin, Missouri

Basketball court at Con-way Truckload Headquarters in Joplin, MO.

Weight room at Con-way Truckload Headquarters in Joplin, MO.

Cardio room at Con-way Truckload Headquarters in Joplin, MO.

Another perk at headquarters is the wash bay. You can have you truck washed 22 hours a day, and 7 days a week, as long as the temperature outside is above 39 degrees. Truckload employees also have access to break rooms, sleep areas, bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities.

Laredo, Texas

Manager: JC Chapa

While Laredo does not sport a gym, employees are encouraged to walk the perimeter of the 40 acre facility during the evenings and early morning. Like Joplin, there is also a wash bay available 22/7, break rooms, sleeping area, showers, bathrooms and laundry. After exercising and/or time on the road, many of our drivers take advantage of the covered patio with BBQ pits. We also use that space to host a cookout during driver appreciate week. A food truck also comes to the yard each weekday around 8:30 am and stays past lunch time selling breakfast tacos and other food items to keep drivers fueled.

West Memphis, Arkansas

Manager: Greg Beard:

Here in West Memphis, Arkansas we have a small exercise room, laundry room, break rooms, showers, company ATM, and a kiosk to access employee portal-safety training. During driver appreciation week each year, we host a big cook out for our employees.

Lancaster, Texas

Manager: Brad Vaughn

At Lancaster we have a small workout room, laundry, bathrooms and showers, as well as driver break rooms. We host an annual driver appreciation cookout to coincide with national driver appreciation week.

Taylor, Michigan

The smallest of the terminals, the Taylor facility includes a workout room, restrooms, break rooms, areas to rest, shower and do laundry.

Manager: Don Parmenter

I believe the one thing that stands out here in Taylor is the length of service of the employees here. I personally have been here 28 years, I have a manager working for me who has 23 years, and four other employees with 15+ years. This is out of a staff of 10 people so you can see there is a lot of experience here and people enjoy what they are doing.

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Navigating Construction Zones with Mike Wallace

Written by: Katlin Owens on May 6th, 2013

I recently sat down with Mike Wallace, the lead learning and development specialist for Con-way Truckload, to get his point of view on construction zone safety and best practices for drivers in these situations. Check out the interview below for his insight.

Katlin Owens: Is there a particular time of year when construction zones are most prevalent?
Mike Wallace: Highway construction is most prevalent as soon as the weather clears up and enough construction workers can work outside. Most truck drivers say there are two seasons, Winter and Construction.

KO: What are the biggest things to look for when entering a construction zone?
MW: Some of the most important things to look for are, speed limits, construction workers, moving equipment, and other traffic going through the construction zones.

KO: Why are construction zones so dangerous, especially for truckers?
MW: Because of the constricted space limited by the barriers and congestion. The danger also increases when other motorist do not obey the posted speed limits.

KO: What are the biggest concerns in construction zones?
MW: Getting the big picture and paying attention to everything that is going on in front, beside and behind at all times. Also, leaving enough space in front of you to be able to stop in the event anything should happen suddenly.

KO: How does Con-way prepare their drivers for these situations?
MW: We teach the Smith System of Defensive Driving, which focuses on the following teaching points. Aim high in steering, get the big picture, keep your eyes moving, leave yourself an out, and make sure they see you.

KO: Do you tell new drivers anything specific about handling these unexpected situations?
MW: It is all covered in the classroom portion of Smith System.

KO: What is the most important thing a driver should remember when in a work zone?
MW: There are two very important things. They are, control your speed and leave yourself plenty of room.

KO: Are there any other details or points that you would like to add?
MW: With the conception of the Compliance, Safety, and Accountability Program (CSA), it is utterly important that drivers control their speed through constructions zones. Besides being extremely dangerous to speed through them and increasing the chance for a crash, a ticket received in a construction zone is a 10 point violation times 3 for the first year on the CSA.

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