AUSTIN (KXAN) — They’re essential to the economy and are a big part of consumers getting just about everything they wear, eat, and use daily. But long-haul truck drivers face some daunting statistics when it comes to their health, as they spend up to 11 hours behind the wheel each day.
KXAN Traffic Anchor Erica Brennes met with a former truck driver whose mission now is to deliver a healthier lifestyle for those traveling on 18 wheels.
You can find Michael Lombard behind the mic coaching Orangetheory Fitness Classes now, but before, you’d find him on the road.
“Trucking is in my blood,” Lombard said. “So my family is actually the founders of one of the oldest motor carriers to exist in the United States. My grandfather’s grandfather, Nikki, and his brother John, started Lombard Brothers Incorporated, which is a horse and carriage story that incorporated as a motor carrier in 1923, and they were in business all the way until they were sold in 1984.”
Going into the family business felt natural, but Lombard said he had concerns, beyond the obvious dangers of spending so much time on the road.
“When I knew I wanted to get into trucking, I knew it was going to be more more important than ever to stay in shape. Knowing my grandfather passed away before his time, his father passed away in his 50s, so I kind of knew what the job could do to somebody,” said Lombard.
The Centers for Disease Control reports life on the road makes it difficult to live healthy because of irregular schedules, long hours, limited physical activity, limited access to healthy foods, and stress.
“The job of a truck driver removes 16 years off of their life. So the average life expectancy of a truck driver is 61,” Lombard said.
“The rates of chronic disease just in the trucking industry are double that of the working class population, so heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, all the rates of those chronic diseases. So, if about one-third of the American workforce is diabetic, two-thirds of just the trucking industry is considered diabetic,” Lombard explained.
Lombard hasn’t always been as fit as he is now, and it was a challenge to stay healthy on the road, but a challenge he was up for.
“At my heaviest I was — I’ll never forget looking at the scale — 278, I was 278 pounds,” he said.
Lombard documented his fitness journey on the road through his social media.
“I knew that if I had a pair of shoes and there was land in front of me, running is free, and I could do it almost anywhere that there’s road or land to run on,” said Lombard.
While on the road, Lombard ran five marathons, and he just recently finished his first Iron Man.
“The healthier and healthier I got over the road, the more and more I wanted to get involved with trying to help and make the industry better,” he said.
Now he works with the nonprofit Project 61, raising awareness and providing resources for truck drivers.
“They move the majority of the freight that moves in this country, more than trains, more than planes. You know, they carry everything from the clothes on your back, the food at the grocery store, everything you own, to the roof over your head. Everything is delivered by truck, and without them, it becomes an issue,” Lombard said.
By law, drivers of commercial vehicles and trucks are permitted to drive up to 11 hours during the 14-consecutive-hour period after coming on duty, then take a mandatory 10-hour break, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
“Sleep is challenging, because you also have to put yourself to bed at obscure hours, and it can change every day,” Lombard said. “Some days I’m going to bed at 8 p.m. and I’m waking up at 3:30 in the morning. Some days I’m getting to bed at midnight, and you’re starting later. So it’s kind of a revolving door to get yourself on a sleep schedule as well.”
“But it’s all the more reason why, getting intentional daily movement, getting adequate amounts of protein, drinking water, checking all those other boxes to help build that foundation for you to be able to perform the job of your best ability is important,” said Lombard.
“I believe if we can get the workforce of the trucking industry healthier, it can help solve some of these problems as they you know, as they get healthier, they’ll going to want to make things better,” said Lombard.
According to the CDC, 37% of long-haul truck drivers reported being noncompliant with hours-of-service rules at least some of the time.
