Long-haul commercial truck drivers can experience considerable health and safety risks related to their work environment.

Little is known about best-practice health promotion programs that address the occupational health, safety and wellness of commercial motor vehicle drivers.

Dr. Mamdouh Shubair, an Associate Professor at UNBC’s School of Health Sciences is the lead investigator on a joint research project with the University of Saskatchewan, University of Waterloo, Transport Canada and SafetyDriven, the Trucking Safety Council of BC.

Funded by WorkSafe BC, the research team has created two online surveys – one for truck drivers and the other for trucking companies.

“Both surveys are equally important, as they will provide us with data related to truckers’ lifestyle behaviours and how truckers can keep themselves healthy,” said Dr. Shubair. “Also, the data will provide us with what trucking companies are doing to encourage their truck drivers to a healthier lifestyle.”

The surveys are designed to gather information on health, safety and wellness practices such as safety training, occupational health and wellness services or programs offered; approaches to employee participation; and effectiveness of programs.

The researchers also hope to find out how organizational policies and practices differ between larger and smaller carriers and identify barriers and facilitators of carriers implementing health, safety and wellness programs for long-haul drivers.

Both surveys are voluntary.

The truck driver survey version is online at: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/NNVXLXD

The employer/manager survey is online at: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/N3XP5LL

The surveys will be online until Jan. 2, 2019.