KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In recognition of Women’s History Month, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund (SCF) is launching free cervical cancer screenings for female over-the-road (OTR) truck drivers nationwide.
“Access to preventative care can be incredibly challenging for women who spend weeks at a time on the road,” said Lindsey Bryan, health & wellness manager at SCF. “By offering free, discreet, at-home cervical cancer screening kits, we’re removing barriers and meeting female drivers where they are. Early detection saves lives, and we want every woman in trucking to have access to that peace of mind.”
Program Details
The new program expands SCF’s growing menu of free preventative health screenings available to professional drivers, which already includes at-home/on-the-road prostate and colon/colorectal cancer screening kits.
Female OTR drivers can request a cervical cancer screening kit directly through SCF’s website. Once a driver selects the Cervical Cancer Screening option, her information is routed directly to a St. Christopher Health & Wellness Case Manager. The case manager completes the registration process and coordinates shipment of the kit to the driver’s preferred location, including a home address, carrier terminal or P.O. Box.
Drivers complete the screening in the privacy of their own space and return it using a preaddressed, stamped envelope. Results are delivered within 7–10 days, and if a test returns positive, the driver is offered a free Telehealth appointment for follow-up consultation.
Cervical Cancer
“Cervical cancer is highly preventable and treatable when detected early,” SCF said.
The American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 14,000 new cases of invasive cervical cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States. Early detection is critical. The five-year survival rate is approximately 91% when caught early but drops significantly if the disease spreads. Regular screening dramatically reduces both incidence and mortality rates.
Supporting Women Beyond the Cab
‘Women in trucking play a vital role in keeping our supply chain moving,” said Jennifer Hedrick, president, CEO of Women In Trucking Association (WIT}. “Programs like this demonstrate a true commitment to supporting women drivers beyond the cab. Providing free cervical cancer screenings helps ensure women have access to preventative care no matter where the road takes them.”
While exact counts of female OTR drivers are difficult to quantify, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports there were more than 2.2 million heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver jobs in 2024. WIT has reported that women now represent approximately 9.5% of professional OTR drivers, which equals over 200,000 female OTR rivers on the road. This statistic highlights a substantial population of women who can benefit from accessible, on-the-road preventive care.
SCF is the only nationwide nonprofit providing short-term financial assistance to Class A OTR drivers suffering from illness or injury within the last 365 days. In addition to financial relief, the organization offers free health and wellness programs designed to help drivers stay healthy and on the road.
How to Get Screened
Female OTR drivers interested in requesting a cervical cancer screening kit — or any of SCF’s other free cancer screenings — can click here.
The SCF is the only nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last 365 days. The SCF also provides several free prevention health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including nicotine cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease
management, at-home cancer screenings and vaccine vouchers.
To learn more how to support the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund, please contact Diane Hutsell, director of philanthropy via email at [email protected].
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
