Whether it’s long-haul transport or local beverage delivery, truck driving is one of the hardest jobs on the body.  In fact, truck driving is always at or near the top of OSHA’s list of professions for lost work due to injury. 

Take care of your back with these tips:

-Vary your seat position slightly every 30-60 minutes to vary the stress on your body.
-Use a gel seat cushion if the truck vibrates too much.
-Adjust the seat so that your knees are no higher than your hips
-If possible, adjust the lumbar area of the seat to provide gentle support.  A towel or lumbar roll may be added to support the low back if needed.
-The front of the seat should not contact the back of the knee.  Such contact will cause drivers to slide forward into a rounded posture.
-Do NOT go directly from prolonged sitting to lifting and carrying tasks.  Give you back a few minutes to adjust by completing other tasks such as paperwork or talking with the client.
-Moving from a warm truck into cold outside temperatures can cause muscles to stiffen.  This puts truck drivers more at risk for injury when lifting objects.  Keep a vest or jacket close by and use it.

If you experience any symptoms such as low back pain, upper back ache, or neck pain, consult your doctor of chiropractic.  In addition to helping you examine your ergonomic risk factors, your chiropractic can help you alleviate the symptoms with hands on-treatment.

Spinal manipulation and other chiropractic techniques have been proven to be safe and effective methods to decrease pain and related symptoms.

Chris SorrellsErgonomics for Truck DriversJ Amer Chiropr Assoc 2010 April;47(3):36-37