http://driverhealth.org/DH/VOL/0207/CoverStory.cfm

The Trucking Solutions Group Driver Health Council

This proactive group of industry professionals serves as the charter Driver Advisory Board of the Healthy Trucking Association of America

The Trucking Solutions Group Driver Health Council is a group of professionals coming from diverse areas of the trucking industry with a shared vision of a healthier trucking community. The group is made up of the following seven members:

Linda Caffee is the group leader, and her areas of interest are walking and running. As a matter of fact, Linda has become quite an expert on walking and running paths across America. Linda and her husband Bob are a husband and wife team who are leased to FedEx in their Custom Critical Division. Bob and Linda also have a blog at: expeditersonline.com/trucking/writer1/index.html.

Jeff Clark is a professional driver and dedicated marathon runner (he's completed eight marathons), and when he is not driving or running, he is also a contributor to Driver HEALTH magazine and a columnist for Truckers News. Jeff was named Truckers News 2008 Health Hero of the Year.

Timothy Weber has an interest in eating healthy while out on the road. He is the one to talk to about the healthiest pickings from the truck stop buffet. Tim has been in the trucking industry since 1995. He currently owns a bookkeeping business and still drives a commercial vehicle full-time.

Rick Ash likes to park his truck, put on his iPod and walk until he drops. Rick has been driving professionally for 26 years. Before becoming a professional truck driver, he was a regional training manager of a fast-food chain. Rick decided to change careers because he didn't enjoy working in corporate America. He says that the only thing he misses about his old line of work is all the perks, like paid vacations.

Henry Albert looks for a parking spot far away from the truck stop and takes the stairs as much as possible. He stays active riding his ATV and motorcycle. Henry has been a truck driver since 1984. Before becoming an over-the-road professional, he worked as a group leader in a chicken plant. While there is nothing about his old line of work that he misses, he does miss being home every day.
Henry was recognized by Overdrive magazine as the 2007 Trucker of the year and is an alternate on OOIDA's board and also one of the participants in Freightliner's Slice of Life Program. You can follow his adventures at sliceoftruckerlife.com/blogs/henry-albert.

Scott Kinley likes to ride his bike or walk for at least a half hour daily. Scott has been in the trucking industry since 1998. He previously fished commercially for salmon and Dungeness crab in Puget Sound. He chose a career in the trucking industry because that was what his grandfather did.

Lily Williams used to be in the legal field. It took her husband Charles over eight years to talk her into driving team with him. She likes power walking and uses weights on both her arms and legs to get a total body workout. She recently stopped smoking, so her walking workouts are more important now than ever before. Lily has a blog at uptowntrucker.blogspot.com.

The group is a subgroup of the Trucking Solutions Group, whose goals are to improve industry business practices, bring trucking related issues to the forefront and promote a more positive image of the trucking industry.
In April of 2009, the group did just that at a week-long business conference. Here they discovered a shared interest in leading a healthy lifestyle out on the road. It was a natural progression for the group, since what first got them together was an interest in operating a healthy business and sharing their information with others in the transportation industry. The seeds for The Trucking Solutions Group Driver Health Council were planted there.
Initially, the group concentrated on sharing nutrition, health and exercise information with each other during their weekly telephone conferences. Last November, the group discovered Driver HEALTH magazine. They contacted the publishing team and found them to be open to the idea of a health walk for truck drivers. In March, with the help of Driver HEALTH, The Healthy Trucking Association of America and Bob Perry, the Trucker Trainer, the group held the first ever 61+ Health Awareness Walk at MATS. The walk was so popular that they will hold another walk at the Great West Truck Show this year and another one at GATS. To pre-register for the GATS walk, please go online to HealthyTruck.org.
Since the 61+ Health Awareness Walk at MATS, the group has invited Todd Whitthorne, president and CEO of Cooper Concepts, and Bob Perry to their conference.
The group serves as The Healthy Trucking Association of America's charter Driver Advisory Board and continually works on programs relevant to the trucking professional. They are currently developing a place on the Healthy Trucking Association of America's Web site where they can share their information with a broader audience. The group's ultimate goals are to help drivers improve their quality of life while out on the road and bring awareness to trucking companies of the benefits of a healthier transportation industry.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain!


© Copyright,
Ramp Media Group, 2009

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Ellen Voie
President/CEO
Member 10002-I
Women In Trucking, Inc.