FREEDOM ISN'T FREE: VOICES FROM THE TRUCK DRIVING INDUSTRY

I interviewed and received written correspondences from truck drivers to gain insight into their lives and to investigate their occupational health and work issues. Drivers discussed money; an interest in trucks, driving, and the truck-driving community; as well as freedom as primary incentives for becoming truck drivers. However, their incentives for becoming drivers were counteracted by concerns such as high fuel costs, sleep deprivation, physical and emotional health problems, safety, company practices, and government regulations. The concerns raised by truck drivers highlight a few of the major health and occupational hazards associated with this profession.