Truck Drivers’ Mental Health: The Importance of Addressing Key Issues
When it comes to maintaining truck drivers’ mental health, operators face several key challenges.
The reality is, some occupations are simply more vulnerable than others to the effects of work-related stress and burnout. It’s important for insurance professionals with clients in the commercial transportation industry to help their insureds understand the impact poor mental health can have on their drivers, insurance and bottom line.
Not Enough Industry Awareness
Experts have known for years that truck drivers face key challenges when it comes to maintaining good mental health. However, despite this fact, very little has been done to improve the situation.
Common Conditions Impacting Drivers
The World Health Organization defines burnout as a syndrome resulting from workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.
Burnout is characterized by three dimensions:
- Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
- Increased mental distance or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job
- Reduced professional efficacy
Prolonged time on the road with no breaks, traffic headaches, poor road conditions, unhealthy diets, lack of physical exercise, work-related stress and pressure to keep driving can all lead to burnout on the job. According to Healthy Trucking of America, whatever the cause, companies need to understand that burnout can have an adverse impact on a driver’s physical and mental health.
A survey by Maslach shows that data used to evaluate and measure work-related burnout in various industries can also be applied to trucking.
Unique job-related stressors that can lead to burnout in trucking include:
- Time away from family, undependable schedules, isolation and the pressure to keep moving can lead to exhaustion and a chronically tired feeling.
- According to a recent Truckload Carriers Association webinar and shared data from WorkHound, 44.9% of truck drivers surveyed said that their work-related burnout could be directly attributed to people or communications, such as identifying feelings of interpersonal and departmental conflicts, feeling disrespected/undervalued, and a lack of psychological safety.
- Inefficacy makes drivers feel incapable and unproductive. Stressors due to inefficacy include confusion over changing government regulations, and lack of professional growth opportunities and skills training needed to perform their job.
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Typically experienced during the winter months, some of the key symptoms of SAD include depression, anxiety, loss of energy, and difficulty concentrating and processing information — to name just a few.
The Impact of Ignoring Work Related Stress & Burnout
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), 550 million workdays are lost annually due to job-related stress. In addition, companies that aren’t addressing truck drivers’ mental health issues could find themselves facing costly liability lawsuits resulting in a lifetime of income reimbursement, medical expenses, and pain and suffering payments. These types of lawsuits greatly increase a company’s risk exposure – negatively impacting insurance renewal costs and the ability to secure future insurance coverage.
Conclusion
The APA reports that for every dollar invested in treating truck drivers’ mental health issues, businesses can expect a $4 return in improved mental health and productivity. As an insurance professional, it’s important to work with your transportation clients to help them better mitigate work-related burnout in their drivers. This should include directing them to industry-specific resources and services, as well as ensuring they have the right commercial insurance coverage.
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