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Mark Manera
These statistics are hurting the whole trucking industry….
Everyone is being affected, but few people are doing anything about it.
We have drivers who are suffering from the life changing impact diabetes can have on their body, their career and ultimately their family.
Trucking companies, who are also being affected, because drivers who have diabetes spend 2.3x more money per year on medical expenses than drivers who don’t have diabetes (Around $9,500/year extra). The insurance companies get hit with the extra expenses, too.
On top of that, most drivers who are diabetic, don’t just suffer from diabetes alone.
They’re fighting obesity, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, higher chances of dying early, etc.
So, when the insurance company sees those stats, there’s only one thing they can do, raise their prices…
As an industry, we need to make a change in drivers’ health.
And that’s not going to happen overnight or by one person yelling from the rooftop, but from the whole industry standing up together and giving drivers the resources and help they need to make a change.
Source:
Obesity and other risk factors: The National Survey of U.S. Long-Haul Truck Drivers Health and Injury by Sieberet et al
The Cost of Diabetes by American Diabetes Association
July 28, 2021
