Truck Drivers

Driving for ten to eleven hours per day has many negative effects on a truck driver's health. The lack of movement and exercise causes back and circulatory problems and leads to heart disease. Carpal tunnel syndrome is also common in truck drivers. Truckers eat what they can, when they can. A trucker's diet usually consists of fast food, junk food, and artery-clogging diner specials. Restroom breaks are infrequent, which leads to bowel, prostate, kidney, and digestive problems. An over-the-road trucker's bed usually consists of a thin foam mattress in a narrow bunk. The uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, delivery deadlines, and restlessness cause sleep disorders. Most truckers rely on large amounts of caffeine and nicotine to get them through their days. The health hazards of those two items are innumerable. Being stuck in the cab of a truck all day for a week or more at a time has negative effects on a truck driver's emotional and mental health as well. Depression is common in professional truck drivers. Many become social recluses as a result of loneliness.Every day, truckers face dangers that most people don't even think about. Often, drivers are forced to park in dangerous areas at night. Parked truckers face nightly the possibilities of robbery, murder, and even rape. Many drivers awaken to find that their trucks and trailers have been tampered with and goods which the driver is responsible for have been damaged or stolen. Truckers are very often solicited by prostitutes and harassed by beggars. On the road, truck drivers encounter other hazards besides inclement weather and heavy traffic. Everyone with a driver's license copes with annoying motorists, but truckers deal with bad drivers all day long. People who slam on