Progressive expands health awareness program for truck drivers

Sept. 14, 2016

Long hours on the road can take its toll on a trucker's health and wellness. As the #1 truck insurer, Progressive is once again dedicating the month of September to raise awareness of the importance of trucker health.

Through a newly-formed partnership with Siphiwe Baleka, the "fittest truck driver in America," and healthy living tips and tricks on Progressive's TruckerTerritory.com, Progressive Commercial Auto Insurance is expanding its commitment to truckers in the third year of its wellness initiative.

Recent studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that longhaul truck drivers in the United States have high rates of chronic diseases due to long days spent on the road and limited access to exercise facilities and healthy food options.

"The well-being of our drivers has always been a priority, and part of our job at Progressive is to make sure our customers have all the tools they need to get on the road and do their job in the most effective, safe and healthy way possible," said Brett Stalnaker, commercial auto product manager for Progressive. "We're committed to providing valuable resources to truckers to help them improve their health and wellness through content on our Trucker Territory website and our newly-formed relationship with Siphiwe Baleka."

After working just two months as an OTR driver, Siphiwe, a former Olympic swimming hopeful, had gained 10% of his previous body weight and realized how difficult it was for truckers to stay healthy on the road. He made it his mission to put an end to the trucker health epidemic. In celebration of Trucker Health Awareness Month, Progressive is giving away 1,000 promo codes for Siphiwe's Active Trucker fitness program, a $29.99 retail value. The app features a 28-day fitness program with simple, yet effective, exercises tailored for truckers and led by Siphiwe.

"We are excited to work with Siphiwe,” Stalnaker said. “Being a trucker himself, he understands a trucker's struggle to achieve health and fitness goals while on the job. Siphiwe's dedication to improving the health of truckers is completely in line with Progressive's commitment, which is why we think this will be such a successful partnership."

In addition to providing free codes to the Active Trucker fitness program, Progressive offers resources for truckers looking to stay healthy year round on its TruckerTerritory.com portal. The site hosts Cab Cuisine, a collection of simple and nutritious recipes designed to be cooked right in a truck cab, Truck Fit, additional workout routines to try out while on the road, and Rig Riot, a collection of entertaining games, comics strips, and puzzles to keep truckers' minds sharp when taking a break from a long stint on the road.

For more information, visit www.TruckerTerritory.com or www.ProgressiveCommercial.com.