By: carmen alamo,
Waukegan, IL
I read on your site some of the disadvantages of being a truck driver. Not sure if the trucker association has reached out to walgreens or walmart to link up to provide a discount for prof. drivers during their OTR trips. I believe this will be address the wellness issue. Having this option available to drivers while driving over the road that they can stop at any walgreens or walmart clinic to conduct a quick wellness check up. Ensuring they are properly taking care of themselves/
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Response from Vicki:
Hello, Carmen. Thank you for passing along your idea for professional truck drivers to use clinics at Walgreen’s and WalMart for wellness check-ups. Until reading your idea, I was not aware that either of these two retail establishments provided these services.
Based on my research, it appears as though the clinics at WalMart locations are conducted by third parties, sometimes a “health system”, “medical center” or a hospital.
I’m not sure what a “quick wellness check up” involves. Would this be only to test one’s weight and blood pressure? I know of one trucker whose doctor incorrectly diagnosed him has having high blood pressure based on a single office visit. The trucker bought a blood pressure cuff and checked his blood pressure himself morning and night for weeks to make sure he was fine.
In my opinion, professional truck drivers should have a physician whom they see on a regular basis (if only for DOT physicals). Yes, different truckers have different physical needs.
My husband Mike and I are of the opinion that many truckers already know what they need to do to stay healthy, particularly when it comes to eating nutritious food, doing appropriate daily physical exercise and getting enough quality sleep. With the right products, they can improve their trucker health. It’s simply a matter of priorities.
As for a trucking association providing a discount for truckers to get check ups at clinics while on the road, this sounds like it could be a reasonable solution, but I encourage truckers to dig deeper. I have just gone through the links and information on our annual flu shot page.
- While the Healthy Trucking Association of America at one time supported the idea of truckers getting a flu shot (the press releases from 2011 are still online), the website has been changed;
- A website that was dedicated to truckers’ health, TheManInWhite.org, is no longer dedicated to that purpose; and
- Roadside Medical’s website is not working correctly as I write this.
I see “Disease Screenings Nationwide” on the website of the Healthy Trucking Association of America as well as discounts for some services, but none for clinics and check ups.
If I may ask:
- Are you familiar with how Walgreen’s and WalMart conduct check ups at their clinics?
- Is the information gathered during a clinic check up stored in a central database so that truckers can have their medical history looked up from one location to the next?
- Is having a central database of a trucker’s health a good idea?
- Wouldn’t it be preferable for a trucker to get home on a regular basis and see his or her own personal physician?
I’m just throwing these questions out for consideration.
On January 10, 2014, Allen Smith featured Diana Kerekes on his Blog Talk Radio program, talking about Telemedicine: Medical Help for Truckers out on the Road. The website referred to — CallADocAnytime.com — provides services for a monthly fee. There are some statistics on that site, including this one: “4 of 5 doctor’s office visits could be better handled over the phone.”
Many professional truck drivers have also invested in Smartphone technology. Whether through the Apple or Android platforms, there are numerous health-focused apps. I would be interested in knowing which health or fitness apps truckers like and use most.
For a trucker who needs regular clinic check-ups, by all means, stop in at one that you’ve researched for yourself and trust. Do not put your health and wellness into the hands of just anyone.
It is unfortunate that Western medicine’s philosophy is geared toward making money by convincing many people that they need drugs or surgery. Mike and I believe agree with the quote from Benjamin Franklin — “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” — and believe that truckers have the means within their own hands to prevent many of their own health challenges.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
If you are a professional truck driver, we wish you safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.
Best regards,
Vicki Simons
