Mental health and wellbeing have become prevalent issues across all workplace industries, especially the transport sector, as new research from Samsara – telematics and fleet tracking specialists – has found one in five (20%) commercial drivers are battling mental health problems. It’s of critical importance that drivers’ mental health is made a priority to your fleet for their overall health, wellbeing and for the safety of other road users.
People who drive as part of their job spend long hours on the road; often in isolation, facing stressors such as tight schedules, traffic and separation from family. As a result, Samsara also discovered in their research that less than half (49%) are satisfied with their work-life balance and 41% said they are likely to leave their job in the next 12 months.
The research ties closely with World Mental Health Day (10th October) and reinforces a greater need for fleet managers to provide continuous education, encourage open conversations and increase awareness around mental health and wellbeing.
IAM RoadSmart have a dedicated resources and tips page around mental health, which can be accessed here.
How can you help your drivers identify and manage their mental health and wellbeing?
As a minimum, you need to ensure you are trained to provide mental health and suicide prevention. This will help you to have compassion for what drivers may experience, therefore helping you to identify warning signs.
Fostering a culture of open communication where drivers feel safe is highly important. This can be achieved through prioritising regular check-ins with your drivers to potentially spot mental health issues, such as fatigue and changes in behaviour, early on.
Promoting a healthy work-life balance can significantly reduce stress and burnout, which is the leading cause of absenteeism in the workplace. Set reasonable work hours, especially during busy periods such as Black Friday and the festive season. Allow for sufficient rest periods and support your drivers in taking time off when needed.
Monitoring workloads regularly will help you assess individual driver schedules and ensure they are not driving for too long without sufficient breaks.
Acknowledging and rewarding good work is a great way to boost driver morale and improve driver mental wellbeing. It’s the simple gestures that have a profound impact on job satisfaction, such as appreciating good work and acknowledging each drivers’ dedication for each task.
Drivers are a fleet manager’s most valuable asset, so it goes without saying that their mental health and wellbeing must be protected. Establishing a safe culture that gives drivers the confidence to talk openly about their health, whether physical or mental, can give your fleet a huge boost in safety and employee wellbeing. Get in touch if you’d like more advice on how to enhance your fleet safety and protect your people.
