The importance of looking after your drivers

Looking after your drivers should be one of your main priorities

Mental health used to be a very taboo subject but now discussions about mental health are a much more common, positive thing. Without positive mental health conversations and care, firms could lose a lot of good people and good drivers, not to mention the fact that mental health issues cost the UK logistics industry up to £100billion.

There are lots of stressors that come with the job of a HGV driver which include:

- Difficult working hours

- Night shifts

- Traffic

- Tight deadlines

- Mental fatigue

- Physical tiredness

These can all have huge impacts on your mental health at work and at home. A lack of ability to exercise can also come into play, which is one of the human body's best natural anti-depressants. All of this creates a difficult and stressful environment to work in.

Why mental health may be the biggest issue in the transportation industry

It’s probably not surprising, but loneliness is the most reported mental health issue that HGV drivers experience. After all, they are away from home and their loved ones for long periods, sometimes days at a time, and that kind of separation can take its toll on you in a lot of ways. HGV drivers often report feeling as though they don’t have a personal life, and that only seeing their family for small periods of time, or for fleeting visits, do take a toll on their mental health. Unfortunately, one of the realities of being a HGV driver is this disconnect, so it’s less an issue of trying to avoid it, and more how can you manage it and stop it becoming a problem?

COVID-19 has also had a big impact on drivers' mental wellbeing, read our blog about it HERE.

At Ascend, we look at the complete risk management picture. We can advise on vehicle technology such as inward-facing cameras, or driver welfare monitoring, incorporating smart watches or apps.

Visit our fleet management and welfare website - Ascend Risk 

Have any questions? please don’t hesitate to contact one of our team

Simon.horton@ascendbrokingold.co.uk  |  Office: 01245 449068  |  Mobile: 07841 020435