A recent national HGV driver well-being survey has highlighted the poor conditions which affect drivers’ health. Employ Recruitment, a specialist logistics recruitment agency, has released the results of a well-being survey which documents 27% of drivers feel stressed and almost a quarter experience loneliness.

The Office of National Statistics recently documented a decrease in drivers resulting in the highest number of vacancies in the transport and storage sector ever recorded.

Another recent article by former senior traffic commissioner Beverley Bell, calling for employers to agree to a Code of Conduct for the treatment of their drivers directly supports the findings of Employ Recruitment’s survey.

The main findings of Employ Recruitment’s HGV Driver Well-Being Survey show that almost a quarter of drivers admitted to being an unhealthy weight, 16% acknowledged they don’t have a healthy diet, and 33% confessed they don’t eat five portions of fruit and veg per day. Further to the physical health concerns, 24% of drivers stated they feel lonely regularly, 24% said they neither agreed nor did they disagree, leaving less than 50% of drivers who confidently answered that they don’t experience loneliness on the job.

Sleep is also an issue with HGV drivers both on and off the job. 51% agreed that they don’t sleep well in the vehicle cabin and 48% said they struggle with sleeping when doing shifts with unsociable hours. These findings have led to a new campaign which is being launched to support the safety and well-being of HGV drivers around the UK.