Driver fitness isn’t just an issue in the United States — it’s worldwide.
February’s Fit Driver of the month is Pierre Ajab, a professional truck driver in East Africa.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Pierre has been a professional driver for over 12 years. He currently drives a semi-trailer and hauls essential cargo across East Africa and into the Congo for Menengai Oil Co.
A common thread I’ve noticed while interviewing drivers for my Fit Driver spotlight is the link they make between their health, family and road safety.
Pierre says that, in his line of work, fitness is about more than looks; it’s about survival and family.
“I stay active to remain alert during grueling long-haul drives and to ensure safety and get back home,” he said.
Additionally, being physically fit provides a layer of security — Africa has its issues with load tampering. Staying fit gives Pierre the edge he needs to be ready to protect his truck.
Healthy diet
To help keep his body healthy, Pierre says he avoids fast food entirely.
“I stick to ‘Kienyeji’ meals (traditional Kenyan dishes featuring organic, traditional whole foods) to fuel my body properly,” he said. “For snacks, I reach for fresh fruit. I make it a point to stay hydrated by drinking at least 2.5 liters of water every single day.”
Regular exercise
Pierre follows the philosophy that eating right is a good start — but if you don’t move your body and exercise, weight, fatigue and lifestyle diseases will still catch up with you. However, as most truck drivers have discovered, getting to the gym for a workout can be difficult, if not impossible, while on the road.
No gym? No problem, he says: His body IS the gym.
“I maximize rest stops by performing a focused 20- minute bodyweight routine right by my truck,” he explained. “This usually consists of high-intensity sets of planks and pushups to keep my core and upper body strong.”
Of course, when time permits, and a gym IS available, Pierre is quick to take advantage of the facilities.
For me, as a longtime advocate for driver health and wellness, it’s very gratifying to see that driver fitness is expanding into a worldwide movement.
Bob Perry is a regular contributor to The Trucker. He has spent nearly the past four decades on a mission to educate professional drivers and share life-changing products and services to help them live healthier lives while on the road. Recognized throughout the transportation industry, from bus drivers to over-the-road professional drivers, Perry has played an important role in creating a paradigm shift helping regulatory agencies, private and public sector entities, and consumers understand the current health challenges of the professional driver. He has participated as a wellness advocate in several roundtable discussions, large audience groups and small forums as well as going “curbside” through a national truck stop tour.
Bob’s articles have been featured in The Trucker and a number of other national transportation industry publications and is the host of a weekly wellness call produced by Rolling Strong. Bob has been a regular guest on RedEye Radio and Land-Line Radio, and is often an invited guest on Sirius radio shows. He has been featured in the New York Times, Men’s Health Magazine, Drug Store News, American Road Magazine, WSJ, NPR, ABC National Radio, as well as hundreds of daily newspapers. He has appeared on television news shows across the nation, including a featured TV segment on ABC NightLine News.
