Susie Jones
Nieuws en updates • 3 min lezen

Hoe kan de transportsector de mentale gezondheid van chauffeurs ondersteunen?

Gemaakt: 07-10-2024

Bijgewerkt: 10-10-2024

44% van de vrachtwagenchauffeurs die lange afstanden afleggen, heeft last van symptomen van depressie - de geestelijke gezondheid in de transportsector wordt echter vaak over het hoofd gezien. De aard van het werk speelt een cruciale rol in het welzijn van chauffeurs, met chauffeurs die lange uren onderweg zijn en lange periodes van isolement. Op 10 oktober, de dag ter bewustwording van de geestelijke gezondheid, is het de vraag hoe chauffeurs en de sector voor hun welzijn kunnen zorgen.

Hoe kunnen chauffeurs voor hun mentale gezondheid zorgen?

Bestuurders kunnen verschillende stappen ondernemen om te zorgen voor hun mentale gezondheid:

Slaap en rust

Voldoende slaap is van vitaal belang voor de lichamelijke en geestelijke gezondheid. Als vrachtwagenchauffeur kunnen lange uren achter het stuur een regelmatig slaappatroon verstoren - het instellen van een routine verbetert de stemming, alertheid en het welzijn van de chauffeur.

Hydratatie en voeding

Hoewel het moeilijk is om onderweg te eten, is het belangrijk om evenwichtig te eten en gehydrateerd te blijven om energiecrashes en stemmingswisselingen te voorkomen.

Omgaan met stress

Onderdeel van het beroep van vrachtwagenchauffeur is het omgaan met stressvolle situaties - stressmanagementtechnieken zoals tijdmanagement en ontspanningsoefeningen verminderen het stressniveau effectief. Mindfulness beoefenen, zoals meditatie en diep ademhalen, helpt om kalm te blijven.

Lichaamsbeweging

Regelmatige lichaamsbeweging is essentieel voor de lichamelijke en geestelijke gezondheid. Eenvoudige oefeningen zoals wandelen, fietsen of stretchen maken endorfine vrij en stimuleren de stemming. Ontdek hoe gezond te blijven onderweg.

Praten

Vrachtwagenchauffeur zijn isolement is een baan waarbij chauffeurs urenlang met niemand praten. In contact blijven met vrienden, familie en collega's via telefoongesprekken en videochats biedt steun en gaat gevoelens van eenzaamheid tegen. Truckstops bieden chauffeurs een uitgelezen kans om met gelijkgestemden te praten over de beproevingen van het werk.

Pauzes nemen

Langdurig achter het stuur zitten kan mentaal uitputtend zijn - regelmatig pauzes nemen om uit te rusten en op te laden vermindert stressniveaus. Voor bestuurders gelden strenge regels voor regelmatige pauzes - lees meer over [regels en voorschriften voor tachografen] (https://snapacc.com/newsroom/tachograph-rules-made-easy/).

Wat chauffeurs zeiden

We vroegen chauffeurs op sociale media om ons te laten weten hoe ze voor hun geestelijke gezondheid zorgen:

Truck Life GB zegt dat ze "andere chauffeurs ondersteunen via mijn sociale media. Mijn inbox staat altijd open voor een praatje. Of het nu gaat om een beetje gekheid of een algemeen praatje, het zijn de kleine dingen waar je een heel eind mee komt."

"Podcasts en een geweldige groep vrienden die alle ups en downs kennen, net als ik met hen. Minstens één van hen heeft een slechtere dag dan jij", legt vrachtwagenchauffeur Mark uit.

Met de "Be A Mate" tekstservice van Mates in Mind kunnen chauffeurs 24/7 met getrainde vrijwilligers praten als ze zich suïcidaal, angstig of overweldigd voelen. De dienst is anoniem en is niet zichtbaar op de telefoonrekening. Het enige wat bestuurders hoeven te doen is "BeAMate" te toetsen op 85258 om het gesprek te beginnen.

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Wat kunnen vlootbedrijven doen?

Wagenparkbeheerders kunnen verschillende stappen ondernemen om ervoor te zorgen dat hun chauffeurs goed voor hun mentale gezondheid zorgen. Het bevorderen van een omgeving waarin openlijk en zonder oordeel wordt gesproken over geestelijke gezondheid kan meningen en stigma's veranderen.

Vloten kunnen de volgende stappen nemen:

Werklast

Waar mogelijk kan een vermindering van de werklast van de bestuurder het welzijn van de bestuurder aanzienlijk verbeteren.

Ondersteuning

Regelmatige communicatie met chauffeurs moedigt eerlijke gesprekken aan. Door chauffeurs een ondersteuningssysteem te bieden, voelen ze zich niet alleen.

Communicatie

Effectieve communicatie over organisatorische veranderingen zal het stressniveau onder chauffeurs verlagen.

Cultuur

Bevorder een positieve werkcultuur waarin conflicten en onaanvaardbaar gedrag worden vermeden.

Wat kunnen truckstops doen om de mentale gezondheid van chauffeurs te verbeteren?

Vrachtwagenchauffeurs zijn afhankelijk van truckstops voor hun dagelijkse basisbehoeften. Ze zijn cruciaal voor het verbeteren van de mentale gezondheid van chauffeurs, omdat ze fungeren als een toevluchtsoord voor chauffeurs die lange, geïsoleerde uren achter het stuur hebben doorgebracht. Door het aanbieden van ultramoderne, schone faciliteiten, gezonde voedingsopties en een plek om te socialiseren, kunnen chauffeurs ontspannen en tot rust komen.

Truckstops kunnen de gemeenschap stimuleren door sociale activiteiten en evenementen te organiseren waar chauffeurs in contact kunnen komen met hun collega's en gevoelens van isolement kunnen verlichten.

Hoe heeft het chauffeurstekort de mentale gezondheid van chauffeurs beïnvloed?

Vanaf 2023 heeft Europa meer dan 230.000 onvervulde vacatures voor vrachtwagenchauffeurs - een tekort van deze omvang heeft de druk verhoogd op degenen die al in de sector werken.

De toename van e-commerce heeft deze druk nog verhoogd - vrachtwagenchauffeurs moeten strakkere leveringsschema's naleven en grotere goederenvolumes verwerken. Een hogere werkdruk en extra druk hebben het welzijn van chauffeurs aanzienlijk beïnvloed - met een personeelsverloop dat het hoogst is.

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