April is Stress Awareness Month. I know, I know. You’re too stressed to possibly keep up with all these nationally designated months! If you drive a long-haul truck for a living, you have enough stress in your life already.
On-the-job stress undoubtedly is contributing to the driver shortage problem and, in turn, the shortage adds stress to active drivers. A vicious circle!
Common symptoms of stress, according to Acuity Insurance:
- Headaches
- Stomach problems
- High blood pressure
- Shortness of breath and chest pains
- Poor sleep
- Drowsiness
- Anxiety and depression
Some of the major causes of stress for truckers:
Loneliness on the road / being away from family
ELD rules compliance
Finding a secure place to park for the night when the ELD says it’s time
Sharing the road with distracted/unsafe drivers
Road construction
Not surprisingly, the top issue of concern for the trucking industry as a whole, according to American Transportation Research Institute, is the driver shortage (#1 for the fifth year in a row).
For drivers specifically, there is a tie for the #1 issue: “Driver compensation” and “Parking.” The next biggest issue for drivers is: “Detention/delay at customer facilities.” (Note: ATRI data is from 2021. We might expect the high cost of diesel fuel to be among top concerns when the study is repeated later in 2022.)
Relay is working to help make life better for truckers—and we are making a difference. Relay’s digital payments reduce time on the dock and the need for frustrating late-night calls for codes and check authorizations. And the RelayGo card and mobile app with GPS discoverability enable drivers to find and reserve safe and secure parking where they need it on the road.
So try to keep chill in April, and the rest of the year!
