Company Announcement - This October, as part of Transport Month, Engen and Trucking Wellness, an initiative of the National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics industry , have once again joined hands to bring the Driver Wellness campaign to the community of King William's Town– Eastern Cape. Now in its fourth year, the Driver Wellness campaign is an annual initiative by Engen aimed at educating long distance truck drivers about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle whilst on the road and servicing the economy. Over the next six months until mid-November 2014, the campaign will visit 20 Engen sites.
Campaign stops include selected Engen Truck Stops and retail sites. Drivers have the opportunity to receive free voluntary screening in mobile clinics, administered by qualified nurses and counsellors. Checks for high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, tuberculosis, BMI (Body Mass Index) and HIV/AIDS are undertaken. The programme also provides a referral service where required. In 2013, over 870 drivers presented themselves for screening. This year the aim is to increase the number of drivers screened by 30%. “As Engen we are pleased to continue to play a pivotal role in educating and raising awareness about the impact of health issues and chronic diseases on road safety for all road users,” says Tasneem Sulaiman-Bray, Engen’s General Manager: Corporate Affairs.
“The Driver Wellness initiative is aimed at raising awareness around health issues that have a direct impact on road safety, by helping drivers to make better and well-informed choices. We believe initiatives such as this can make a real difference to road safety in the long run and encourage a healthy lifestyle change in professional drivers,” says Sulaiman-Bray.
Buffalo River 1 Stop is one of many around the country where truck drivers rest overnight after spending long hours on the road during the day. The campaign is set to visit most provinces.