Comments on: Medically Ill Truckers Remain A Threat

By: Buck Black

Buck Black — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:10:05 +0000

As a psychotherapist who specializes in working with truckers, I agree there are a lot of truckers out there who are not healthy enough to be driving. I also want to point out that the significant percentage of truckers who are Mentally unfit to drive. I mean that they are so depressed or anxious that they are not thinking straight. This can be just as dangerous as a physical condition…and road rage is a whole other story. Then when you though substance abuse on top of all of this, it is certainly a dangerous combination.

I think truckers are under-served for both physical and mental healthcare.

By: Wayne Weisser

Wayne Weisser — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:41:28 +0000

One reason drivers are so sick is they don’t take care of themselves. Can’t blame trucking or even truckstops. A lot of these physicals are shames. There are “DOT” physicals everywhere, and most don’t care as long as they get their money. At first blush, the report is probably the tip of the iceberg. But thanks to pressure from companies and everyone else to keep drivers on the road physicals have become a joke.

No one here to blame except the drivers themselves. Just like most of the industry’s problems.

By: LINDA SUNKLE-PIERUCKI

LINDA SUNKLE-PIERUCKI — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:19:51 +0000

I havent had time to read the entire report yet-I’ve been too mad! This AP article has taken the whole thing out of context to slam truck drivers once more.

There’s a basic question begging to be asked here. . .why are so many truckers so sick? Do you see any of these reporters asking?

Well, I’m asking! And I’d hope Oberstar, who requested the GAO study be done, is smart enough to ask-and follow up. I vented here:

[edit] . Its time for a long hard look at the current configurations of the job have done to drivers.