Pushups to paychecks: The hidden cost of neglecting drivers

In the world of transportation, we talk a lot about safety – hours of service, compliance, vehicle maintenance and more. But what if we’re missing a critical piece of the puzzle? What if the real root cause of many safety issues isn’t just what happens on the road, but what’s happening in the lives of the drivers behind the wheel?

In this episode of the TTT Podcast, hosts P. Sean Garney and Steve Keppler sat down with Dr. Mark Manera (Founder & CEO of Offshift), Tim O’Neil (Senior Workforce Well-Being Advisor at TrueNorth Companies) and Bert Mayo (VP Transportation Risk Solutions at TrueNorth Companies) to explore how these often-neglected areas are shaping the future of fleet risk management.

Short on time? Check out the high-level recap below. But be sure to listen to the full episode so you don’t miss any important insights!

The health crisis in trucking

The numbers confirm what many may already suspect: truck drivers face serious health challenges. Dr. Manera shared the following staggering statistics:

• Truck drivers have the highest rates of obesity and diabetes of any occupation.
• Their life expectancy is just 61 years – 16 years shorter than the national average.
• Rates of depression and hypertension are twice as high as other U.S. workers.

Despite these alarming figures, most wellness programs in the industry are underutilized, often because they weren’t designed with drivers in mind.

“If your wellness program was built for a lawyer in a cubicle, it’s not going to work for a driver.” – Dr. Mark Manera

Making health work on the road

Dr. Manera emphasized that successful programs must be:

• Driver-specific: Tailored to the realities of life on the road.
• Accessible: Exercises that can be done in the cab or at a truck stop.
• Actionable: Simple nutrition swaps like choosing a banana over a candy bar or switching to diet soda.
• Consistently promoted: Not just during open enrollment, but through channels drivers actually use, like ELD messages or safety meetings.

Financisl stress: the silent safety risk

Tim O’Neil highlighted the financial challenges many drivers face:

• Two-thirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.
• Most can’t afford a $1,000 emergency.
• Medical debt is the #1 cause of bankruptcy – even among the insured.

This stress doesn’t stay at home. It follows drivers on the road, affecting focus, accelerating fatigue, and impacting decision-making.

“You can’t educate your way out of an emergency when your truck breaks down.” –  Tim O’Neil

A study out of the University of Pittsburg by Dr. Carrie Leana found that drivers who contributed just $19/week to an emergency savings account (with employer matching) saw an 87% reduction in reportable safety citations over 12 months.

Building a culture of wellness

So how can fleets take action?

Health & Wellness

1. Audit your current programs: Are they built for drivers? Are they being used?
2. Start small: Focus on habit-building, not overhauls.
3. Engage champions: Identify drivers and managers who can promote wellness from within.

Financial Wellness

1. Offer emergency savings options: Even small contributions make a big difference.
2. Provide access to unbiased financial coaching: Especially for drivers without traditional banking access.
3. Integrate into risk strategy: Financial stress is a safety issue and should be treated as such.

The bottom line

Driver health and financial wellness aren’t just HR issues.  They’re safety and business issues. When drivers are healthier and more financially secure, they’re more focused, more productive, and more likely to stay with your company.

“We say drivers are our most important asset. It’s time we start treating them that way.” – Bert Mayo

Final thoughts

As the industry continues to evolve, so must our approach to safety. That means looking beyond the wheel and investing in the well-being of the people who keep freight moving.

Because when drivers thrive, fleets succeed.

TN Truck Thought

The TN Truck Thought podcast keeps transportation leaders of today and tomorrow in the know on the hottest industry trends. Our specialists get to the bottom of challenging, and sometimes controversial, transportation topics to offer insight and predictions.

Join The Inside Lane - your fast track to industry insights, fresh episodes and expert perspectives.