You have a friend who has been working as a truck driver for years and recently, he informed you about a job opening with his employer. Your friend has been raving about the perks he’s getting with this kind of job, how he’s able to receive very competitive pay and still able to spend adequate time with his family. Because of these things, you’ve become interested in accepting the job vacancy but one thing is stopping you – you basically don’t have any idea about what truckers do aside from well, driving a truck.
If you’re stuck in this kind of situation, learning about the health implications of truck driving and what to do if you’re in a crash can help you come up with a decision. Once you’re educated about information like this, it’ll be easier for you to assess if whether or not truck driving is for you.
What Are the Health Implications of Truck Driving?
Just because truckers are sitting from 9-5 inside their trucks doesn’t mean that their job is easy as 1-2-3. In reality, a trucker can also be at risk for some health-related problems as the nature of their jobs puts them at higher risks. To give you an idea of these health implications, read on below:
- Skin cancer: You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that skin cancer is found on body parts which are exposed to the sun for too long, much more when it’s exposed in the middle of the day. Sunburns and prolonged exposure to the sun are just some of the factors which predisposes someone to skin cancer. And since truck drivers get a lot of sun in one part of their arms and face, they’re more prone to develop skin cancer over time.
- Obesity: A person is considered obese when he/she has a body mass index of more than 30. And when you’re obese, your heart works extremely hard to ensure that blood is supplied to all parts of your body. Obesity can eventually cause life-threatening illnesses over time. And because truckers have a sedentary lifestyle and don’t have enough options to eat healthily while they’re on the road, they’re at higher risk of being obese – this is bad news for you if you’ve been exerting time and effort to keep your weight in check.
- Sleep apnea: This might sound like another sleep deprivation term, but in actuality, it’s more than that. Sleep apnea is a severe disorder because it blocks your airways when you sleep and this could lead to several seconds of oxygen deprivation. There would be pauses in your breathing or periods of shallow breathing during your sleep. And the high factors of developing this disorder? Obesity and age.
- High blood pressure: High blood pressure or hypertension is considered as a silent killer because most of the sufferers from this condition don’t even realize that they have it. When you have high BP, coronary artery disease can develop, and vessels in your heart can no longer get enough blood to supply different organs in your body. Most truckers have hypertension because of the quality of food they consume on a daily basis and because they lack the space to do any exercise.
- Heart attacks: A heart attack happens when clots block blood flow to the coronary arteries which is responsible for oxygenating your heart muscle. There are a lot of symptoms of a heart attack which can include squeezing pain felt in the arms or chest, nausea, sweating, and pain that isn’t relieved by rest.
These are just some of the conditions you may experience when you work as a truck driver. But if you’re able to consistently maintain a healthy lifestyle even with this kind of job, you can guarantee that your health should not be compromised in any way while working.
What to Do If You’re in a Crash?
Accidents can happen whenever, wherever you are. And when you’re a truck driver, you’re at greater risk for accidents given the size and speed of the vehicle you’re driving. To give you an idea of what you can do if you’re in a crash when you’re a trucker, the things listed below may come in handy for you:
- You should assess injuries: Yes, the truck you’re driving might cost a fortune, but that doesn’t equate to your life. When you’re involved in a crash, make sure that you check if you’ve incurred bruises, cuts or broken bones. If the crash has been fatal and you can’t move, don’t push yourself to do anything but wait for medical practitioners to arrive at the scene.
- Contact authorities: If you can, contact the police right away and report what happened. Don’t leave any information behind and tell them everything you’ve witnessed before and during the crash. Your statement will go a long way in the investigation and the lawsuit whenever a party files for one.
- Get evidence: Take pictures of just about anything that you can see in the scene – the vehicles after the crash, the injuries both parties have and even the road conditions where the accident happened.
- Work with an attorney: Hiring an attorney can be costly, but they can help you in a lot of ways, especially if you’re looking for settlement as you’ve sustained personal injuries from the crash. If you’re interested in hiring one, you can check this website for more details.
Every job in this world has its own sets of pros and cons, and being a trucker is no exemption. You might consider the job of a truck driver as something that’s rewarding and fulfilling, but on the other side of the coin, you should also keep in mind that there are also certain health implications involved in this kind of employment. As a truck driver, you always have to deal with a handful of things when you’re involved in a crash. Yes, there might be a lot to comprehend when you decide to become a trucker, but the information presented in this article will help you determine what to expect from the job and prepare you to become a better trucker in the future!
Joanne Reed
Joanne Reed has been writing about law and business for almost a decade, and is currently writing her next big law project. She is an avid sports fan and loves watching games if she has free time.
