According to truckinfo.net, the U.S. economy depends on trucks to deliver nearly 70% of all freight transported annually in the U.S., amounting to $671 billion worth of manufactured and retail goods transported by truck in the U.S. alone. However, the professional truckers driving those big rigs across the highways and byways of the U.S. are at great risk for unhealthy lifestyles because of the nature of their jobs, which is why Dallas, TX-based Cooper Wellness recently teamed up with radio personality Dave Nemo to educate the more than 3.5 million truck drivers across the U.S. about how they can improve their life expectancies and reduce their risk for certain health threats. 

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy of the U.S. truck driver is 61, roughly 16 years younger than the average American. “Truckers, by definition, sit for a living,” explained Todd Whitthorne, president and chief executive officer of
Cooper Wellness. “Humans weren’t designed to sit, at least not for hours at a time. We were designed to move!”
 
In addition to his work with Cooper Wellness, once a month Mr. Whitthorne joins Mr. Nemo—a trusted radio companion to truckers for more than 30 years—during his Fitness Friday radio segment, a regular feature of his Sirius/XM’s The Road Dog Channel, to help truckers understand the importance of healthy choices related to exercise, nutrition, stress management and supplementation.
 
Mr. Whitthorne regularly espouses the benefits of exercise. “One of the best things that truckers can do from a health perspective is to incorporate at least 30 minutes (collectively) of moderate to vigorous physical activity most days of the week,” advised Mr. Whitthorne. “The goal should be at least 150 minutes per week [however] the research indicates that less than 5% of adults are hitting that target.”
 
Seeking healthy foods is another key point he advocates. “From a nutrition standpoint, parking an 18 wheeler makes restaurant options rather limited,” he said. “Making good healthy choices and planning ahead are ways for truckers to overcome a lifestyle that shortens their length of life by, on average, about 20 years. Remember, it’s not just the quantity of calories that counts, it’s also the quality!”

And when it comes to supplementation, Mr. Whitthorne noted that although truckers’ nutritional needs aren’t all that different from the average American’s, the unique requirements of their job heightens their need for critical nutrients. To that end, Cooper Wellness developed a supplemental “insurance policy” called Cooper Complete Healthy Body Pack, which delivers properly proportioned essential nutrients in a convenient cellophane packet to help fill in nutritional “gaps.”

“All Americans, truckers included, are sorely lacking in the critical nutrients of omega 3 and vitamin D,” Mr. Whitthorne said. “Because of the demands of their jobs [truckers] really need to focus on getting the proper ‘fuel’ they need, which often times is very challenging.
 
“We saw a great opportunity to help with a solution,” he continued. “Thousands of scientific studies support the benefits of both omega 3 and vitamin D for the heart, brain, eyes and immune system.”

The Healthy Body Pack provides a 30-day supply of a “comprehensive” daily multivitamin  that contains 2000 IU of vitamin D, along with two high concentration omega 3 fish oil softgels that contain 1200 mg of EPA and DHA. The Healthy Body Pack canister is convenient, compact and easily fits in the cab of the truck. “With supplements you have to always consider two things: the ingredient and the amount of the ingredient,” said Mr. Whitthorne. “With the Healthy Body Pack we eliminate the guesswork as to ‘how much’ should you be taking. We include the proper doses that the scientific literature shows is most beneficial.”
 
Cooper’s support is part of a larger effort to promote health and wellness for truckers. The company also sponsors the mobile health tour driven by the St. Christopher Driver Development and Relief Fund (SCF), providing free samples of its new health supplement line and sharing 5% of the proceeds from all sales of the line with the charity.

The SCF has offered free health screenings and education to over-the-road truckers via its Medical Resource Vehicle (MeRV). The mobile unit will be touring truck shows and will be promoted through radio and CB chatter to help reach, educate and screen truckers across the U.S.