TRAINER’S NOTES

MEET

MANDY

Mandy Wannerton is the DAF Press & Demonstration Driver

IT’S GOOD TO TALK

116123 is a new phone number that recently went live to help people in a mental health crisis. This line is for anyone in need of any kind of mental health assistance. Whilst physical health awareness has improved considerably, mental health issues are all too often being ignored, and HGV drivers are especially susceptible due to the time they spend on the road.

According to a survey by the mental health charity MIND, 30% of illnesses in transportation and logistics are

mental health-related and, because these instances were self-reported, the real number may be far higher.

Having been a driver for more than three decades I, like many old timers, have seen a lot of changes in our industry, and not all of them for the better. Life on the open road is so very different to when I started out.

Consistent topics from drivers about what impacts a life on the road are: feeling undervalued; lack of choice in how to do the job you’ve been given; time pressure; isolation; inconsistent shift patterns that impact on family life; the behaviour of other road users and the constant scrutiny of performance from in cab technology. Traffic and road chaos, additional qualifications needed to just do our job, lack of good and sensibly priced rest areas and round the clock bombardment by social media, all add pressure to an already full day. I’m very lucky as I don’t have to contend with many of these issues, but I do get to spend time with drivers from all sectors and of all ages and I get to hear a lot of life stories and, although varied, there is one common theme; and that is that no one has the time to talk anymore. ‘Back in the day’ drivers formed friendships out on the open road, would join you at a table and chat over a cup of tea and generally lend a hand wherever needed. Many a time when starting out and not sure of where a delivery was, you could pull in and within minutes, maps would be drawn on napkins and advice given on the best way to get there. Weeks later you would cross paths again, and soon be chatting about how you got on and friendships would be forged. You don’t get that interaction from your sat nav.

Pull in to a delivery and help would be at hand from drivers to help strip out that load and advice was freely given, no matter the weather, everyone chipped in and would willingly lend a hand. Now the norm is to hand in your keys and either sit in a cold cab or wait for hours in a sterile room with no, or very basic facilities, with heads buried in phones. The art of connecting with real people being replaced with connecting to the internet. Time and time again I see drivers constantly checking their phones and getting increasingly agitated when waiting for a reply to a message they’ve sent. They can see it’s been read but for whatever reason no reply has been forthcoming. Anxiety can and will impair driving ability which adds to the pressures of an already full day. One thing we all know is you need your wits about you when driving a truck, as a moment’s lapse in concentration can have a catastrophic and life changing effect on so many.

Logistics UK estimate that the HGV driving population is made up of over 98% of men. Mental health can affect all of us at some point and recent studies by MIND show that talking about mental health remains a taboo subject amongst many men as they especially bottle things up. If talking’s not your thing and you need a friendly ear, but don’t like talking on the phone and are more comfortable with texting, you can text 07725 909090 and a trained counsellor will text with you.

There are many drivers working and living out of their cabs, so maybe it’s time to consider putting down our phones and striking up a conversation instead. You never know where it might lead, and it might just make a bad day a little bit better for someone.

Stay safe! Mandy x