Age, Health and Professional Drivers' Network

The average age of HGV drivers is increasing, and recruitment is proving challenging. It is anticipated that the skill shortages for HGV drivers will continue. This is something that may potentially increase demands on existing workers, and possibly impact negatively on their health. Musculoskeletal disorders, for example, are already a significant problem for the sector and there is potential for these to become a bigger issue as the average age of the workforce continues to increase, with older workers already being more likely to have multiple health conditions.

We talked to the HGV drivers and managers about the impact of work on their physical and mental health as they continue to work into older age. This is what they said:

“My experience tells me that as you get older, you are more prone to fatigue on long shifts. Bear in mind that some of these guys are working twelve to fifteen-hour shifts, and night drivers as well, the concentration factor, as you get older it is more difficult.”

“I think you get a bit more tired as you get a bit older. Easier, I think you tend to doze even when you’re at home at weekends more than you would do when you’re younger. I think that’s a problem for people that are driving at my age, you do get more tired.”

“You can imagine if you’re sat there for four hours just on the motorway. Your knees, because you’re not moving them are you? Your back will go. It’s alright when you’re young but as you get older it starts catching up with you.”

“When I was younger I used to get blokes, the older blokes, telling me, stop jumping off that trailer, your knees, stop jumping off that trailer. I can hear them now.”

“[Loading and unloading is the problem], after that if you sit a long time you have problems with your spine. That’s the life of the driver.”

“There is no exercise now – you’re perhaps in/out of the cab only four to five times a day. My weight does fluctuate a lot.”

“To get something to eat, you can’t just park the wagon anywhere – and you are also restricted on time – so it’s virtually impossible to eat healthily.”

“If you drive on very long journeys…a four and a half hour journey there and a four and a half hour journey back, recognising that I’m no longer the spring chicken, I will stop and have a fifteen minute break and have a walk around and use the facilities, and that’s fine, it’s so I don’t seize up. But, it’s doing the sensible thing.”

“As a driver you’re never pushing yourself. You’re not doing anything physically, and you’re just putting layers and layers and layers of fat on you all the time. ‘Cause half the time you’re eating rubbish, chocolate bars, biscuits, because there’s no access to healthy food. And you can’t do any activity anyway.”

“If driving is all you know – all you can do – you continue working – you live with the health issues.”

“I don’t get stressed out now like I used to. That’s down to me saying I ain’t pushing myself anymore. When you’re younger, you’ll get pushed and pushed and pushed, and do more and more and more, and as the roads have got busier, it’s got harder. But, I’ve got to a point in my life where when they give me a run, it gets there when it gets there. I ain’t going to kill myself or anybody else to get that load to that place.”

“If the job stays as it is now, and I stay as healthy as I feel now, I should be okay. But you don’t know what’s round the corner, do you? My back could get worse, I could get injured.”

“I’m tired now, so I can just see it being more tired, but I don’t think it’s affecting my health, it affects my home life a bit, ‘cause I go to bed about half past eight, and everyone else is still up.”

“When I’m sixty-five? Well, I won’t be pulling cages, I’ll definitely dig my feet in there. I’m not pulling 500kg cages off. I don’t think I’ll have the strength then. But we’ll just use electric trucks.”