Trucking’s first Health Awareness Walk to be held at MATS
The Fitness Walk being held at MATS is “a plea from driver to driver to get outside of your truck and work towards a healthier lifestyle,” said Linda Caffee, professional driver and chairman of the Trucking Solution Health Group.
The Trucker News Services
3/12/2010
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A trucker’s Health Awareness Walk, a first-of-its-kind fitness event for the industry, will be held March 26 during the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., said the walk’s originators, the Trucking Solution Health Group.
Drivers who are thinking about getting fit, wanting to stay healthy, or looking for tips to enhance their workouts are invited to join their fellow drivers, along with Bob Perry, “The Trucker Trainer,” on a 1.5-mile walk on Friday, March 26 at 8 a.m. There is no cost, but registration is required.
The average age of death for a truck driver is 61 years old, 16 years younger than the average American, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “With those startling statistics,” stated a news release from the group, “leaders in the trucking industry are working to make personal health and fitness a bigger concern for all truckers.”
“This is a plea from driver to driver to get outside of your truck and work towards a healthier lifestyle,” said Linda Caffee, professional driver and chairman of the Trucking Solution Health Group. “We’re all in this together. This walk provides everyone with the opportunity to receive support from your fellow drivers and get on the road to better health.”
The Trucking Solution Health Group helps trucking professionals lead a healthier lifestyle while on the road through exercise and nutrition. They have regularly scheduled live interactive discussions to share tips and information. The organization’s members are credited with suggesting the walk to sponsors and assisting in the planning of the event.
The Health Group is an off-shoot of The Trucking Solutions Group. “We’ve got a group of owner-operators from diverse backgrounds who hold regular weekly meetings to help with better business practices” and saw the need for “health awareness on the road,” explained member Henry Albert, who has his own operating authority and is the owner of Albert Transport, Inc., based in Statesville, NC.
Albert said one of the Health Group members is in training to run a marathon. They discuss ways to eat healthy on the road and how difficult it is to find places to exercise; they’re in the midst of compiling a list of good areas to walk within a short distance of truck stops.
The group includes professionals in their discussions to further the knowledge base of those involved in the group’s live discussions. To learn more about the Trucking Solution Health Group contact lcaffee@elkhart.com.
Walk registration is free and available online at driverhealth.org. Walkers can also register beginning at 7 a.m. March 26 and must be registered by 7:30 a.m. The first 250 registrants will receive walk packets, while supplies last, with health information and free giveaways. Walkers can also attend a warm-up and a cool-down before and after the walk with Bob Perry, The Trucker Trainer.
The walk is sponsored by Airtab, Carroll Fulmer Logistics Corporation, Driver HEALTH Magazine, Healthy Trucking Association of America, Landstar, Marten Transport, the Mid-America Trucking Show, Ramp Media Group, Roadside Medical Clinic + Lab, Trucking Solution Health Group, and Quality Carriers.
The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at editor@thetrucker.com.