Wellbeing for the long haul truck driver

Long hours, tight deadlines and time away from home can take a toll. Here’s how to look after your mental and physical wellbeing on the road.

One of Australia’s most in-depth studies into truck driver health, the Driving Health Project

, painted a clear picture: long hours, isolation, fatigue and poor access to healthy food are taking a toll on drivers’ mental and physical health.

But the research

¹ didn’t just highlight the challenges. It also revealed the habits and supports that help drivers stay well and prioritise mental health on the road. With that in mind, here are four practical ways to take care of your wellbeing behind the wheel.

Talk it out – connection helps more than you think

Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds

advocates for small habits that protect truck drivers’ mental health – and connection is an important one. Many truck drivers are finding creative ways to stay connected during long stints on the road¹.

Some keep in touch with mates over the radio at night. Others find comfort in the friendly banter with customers or clients on delivery runs. Many say that catching up with close friends on their days off helps them decompress.

One driver shared¹: “What I appreciate is the people that you build relationships with, not just in the workplace, but with the customers and clients and so forth – the human interaction.”

If you’re feeling flat or under pressure, don’t wait to take action. TIACS offers a free mental health support line for drivers, tradies and other workers in blue-collar industries.

Try this:

• Build a regular check-in habit with someone you trust.
• Add the TIACS
  number to your favourites, even if you don’t need it today.
• If your company has an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) ask for the details.
• Check-in with your mind and body at the start of your shift. You use our driver’s mental health check list.

Move your body – even five minutes counts

Tight hips, stiff shoulders, sore lower back? With one in three truck drivers in Australia reporting ongoing musculoskeletal problems¹, the physical toll of long-haul driving isn’t news to anyone behind the wheel. But what’s often overlooked is how movement improves more than just muscle tension.

SafeWork NSW

highlights how prolonged sitting reduces alertness and reaction time, all critical risks for long‑haul driving. The good news? You don’t need a gym to feel better. Just five to ten minutes of movement during your break can help you stay sharper and feel more in control of your heavy vehicle.

Try this:

• Take a few laps around the service centre while fuelling up or waiting on a load.
• Stretch your shoulders, neck and hamstrings before and after your shift.
• Consider a wearable device to prompt you to move every few hours.
• Keep a resistance band in your vehicle for quick shoulder or hamstring stretches.

Use what’s already working

One of the most revealing findings from the final report¹ to come out of the Driving Health Project, found that many truck drivers already have personal coping strategies that help them stay mentally strong – even if they don’t always recognise them as such.

For one driver, coping mechanisms manifested in distraction and self-counsel: “If you’re having an emotional day you’re in a controlled environment, where you can deal with it, whether you ignore it and distract yourself or you find something on the internet, a podcast or something where you can self-counsel.”

Many drivers also shared that reminding themselves of the “why” behind the job (supporting family, enjoying freedom on the road, having alone time) helped shift their mindset when things got tough.

If it helps you get through the day, it’s worth keeping the below in your toolkit.

Try this:

• Start or end each day by noting one small thing you’re grateful for.
• Create a ‘mood lift’ playlist, listen to Australia Truck Radio (ATR) or subscribe to a podcast (including ATR’s new podcast series, Long Haul Legends)
  that boosts your mindset and working environment when you’re solo for long stints.
• Taking a moment to notice the beauty in your surroundings – sunrise over a misty paddock or a roadside patch of wildflowers.

Eat for energy and clarity – not just convenience

High-fat, high-sugar meals may fill a gap, but they don’t do much for your focus, stamina or mood over the long haul.

Nutrition Australia

points to a clear link between nutrition and sustained alertness. Eating better isn’t about overhauling everything; it’s about choosing better, more often.

Shell’s network of 1,600 service stations around Australia offers a growing number of healthier food options, such as fresh sandwiches, fruit and water, designed for people who work on the move.

Try this:

• Pack healthy snacks at the start of the week (fruit, yoghurt, trail mix).
• Switch soft drinks for water or sparkling water where possible.
• Plan your stops at Shell stations with Shell’s fuel finder, where you know healthier choices are available.

Long-haul work takes stamina. The demands of driving a truck are real, but so are the ways to stay well while doing it. If you feel you need help while on the road or at home, you can see your GP, book an appointment with a therapist, or look at some online resources, such as those offered by SANE Australia

, the Black Dog Institute

or Beyond Blue

.

¹_{Pritchard, E., van Vreden, C., Xia, T. et al. Impact of work and coping factors on mental health: Australian truck drivers’ perspective. BMC Public Health 23, 1090 (2023)}

.

_Disclaimer

^{Viva Energy Australia Pty Ltd (“Viva Energy”) has compiled the above article for your general information and to use as a general reference. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken by Viva Energy in compiling this article, Viva Energy does not warrant or represent that the information in the article is free from errors or omissions or is suitable for your intended use.}