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YEARLY CHECK-UP
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The Commercial Motor Health Challenge has looked at dozens of issues affecting road transport workers' welfare over the past 12 months.
Thousands of you have been involved and we've raised awareness of your needs at the highest levels. Louise Cole rounds up the year's activities and highlights those for whom the good work goes on...
It was 5am on a March morning, cold enough to freeze the rain on your lashes, when we first burst into the Wolverhampton truckstop to direct camera L•rews, set up our medical teams, point our celebrity chef to the kitchen and greet those early morning truckers who were soon to become the first in the industry lobe touched by the Commercial Motor Health Challenge. They were to be the first of thousands.
Since then we have sustained one of the biggest campaigns yet run in trade journalism, and certainly one of the biggest in the road transport industry. Our sponsors lveco, Renault. Pall-Ex. Shell Lubricants, SpecSavers Corporate Eyecare, and associate sponsor Truckfcst helped us put together a stunning array of projects, products and offerings to encourage road transport workers to become healthier.And several charities helped us collate information and provide opportunities for readers— the Men's Health Forum, the British Lung Foundation and many more. Our thanks go out to all of them.
Over the year we have had a fantastic response to the Health Challenge, with many of you pledging your own or your company's support and taking part in our events.The Wolverhampton launch,courtesy of lveco,got these off to a flying, not frying. start. as celebrity chef James Martin offered his new take on truckstop food.True, his tomato, sausage and bean casserole wasn't to everyone's taste first thing in the morning, but all the drivers we spoke to were impressed by the variety of healthy food that was on offer.
Outside in the courtyard, the breakfasted men were being educated in a different way. Sponsored by Shell, our specialists checked their lung capacity, posture, blood pressure. and risk of diabetes or high cholesterol, and offered them someone to talk to about health issues. Men go to the GP far less often than women:, talk of risk makes them uncomfortable and conventional health messages tend to pass them by. As one driver told us:" Bringing healthcare to us is an inspired idea."
Since that first morning our medical teams have offered free health checks to hundreds of men, at the CV Show,Truckfest and SED. The initiative was so successful that we wrote to Public Health Minister Caroline Flint, who had already given the campaign her endorsement, to suggest walk-in healthcare facilities at truckstops and docks. She promised to take our ideas on hoard.
We've also worked with physios 10 teach you how to stretch in the cab, and written more than a dozen features on men'shealth.We also created the driver medical emergency card in association with Pall-Ex — a credit-sized card recording your blood type, conditions and allergies in case you are in an accident.
You all recognised what a fantastic idea this is: 3,500 of you rang up asking for one. We had requests for the cards from organisations
as diverse as Northampton Police training division, a mobile library unit and DHL and Asda depots. Many people rang for one, then came back to us because their males wanted them. It was the kind of simple initiative that could do no harm but potentially so much good. As one driver told us:-For me the question isn't why should I carry this, but why has it never been done before?"
• If you would like a card call 020 8652 3251.
The CM Online Health Challenge We also worked with Pall-Ex on another very successful part of the Commercial Motor health Challenge the online version. In October more than 400 of you signed up to follow 12 weekly e-mailed tasks designed to make you fitter and slimmer.
We expected the challenge to stop after 12 weeks, but you thought otherwise. Daf in Thame had five teams competing for a cash prize to see who could lose the most weight, and their efforts have encouraged other employees to sign up.
Tony Pain, Daf marketing director, explains. "Our original teams were 'Technically Fat', `Fizzical Fanatics',`Five Fight the Flab',`The Bean Counters' and 'Truckers Tubbies' from across a spectrum of Daf employees.
"The company agreed to give £250 to the team that collectively lost the most weight over an eight-week period to 1 January 2007. 'The Bean Counters' won by losing 2st and received the award at our staff conference.
"A further team,`Limming's Lemmings', is now engaged with the challenge—it includes myself and guest star Bob Limming from Live Promotions, of Truckfest fame, We started late and without the financial incentive, but a standard has been set so we'll have to lose at least 2st 1lb for a moral victory... watch this space!" vi