Lily Transportation Corp. Introduces A Unique Driver Fitness Program

Needham, MA (Vocus/PRWEB) December 15, 2010

Lily Transportation Corp., a leading provider of Dedicated Logistics Systems, introduced its new fitness program to drivers this month. It’s probably no surprise to most people that the health of commercial drivers is far worse than that of the general population. “Let’s face it, in order to do their job effectively, truck drivers are sitting for extended periods of time with little opportunity for exercise and more opportunities than the average worker to gravitate towards fast foods, caffeine, and a sedentary lifestyle," said Bill Eskel, Vice President of Operations. "That’s not the lifestyle we want for any of our employees at Lily Transportation." "We have always made efforts to educate our drivers, and all employees for that matter, on the importance of maintaining health & wellness." "We believe this Driver Stretching Program and support from senior and field management will be a step in the right direction."

One of the things we’ve come to learn is that most truck drivers are interested in living a healthy life but have identified barriers to achieve this lifestyle. We are trying to break down those barriers and offer some solutions.

“We’ve always taken our drivers’ health seriously, but we knew we had to do something more to make a difference”, said Eskel. By the end of this year all Lily trucks will be outfitted with stretching-exercise decals affixed to the side of each vehicle giving drivers a quick reference guide and leaving them with no excuses. We’ve trained all of our Field Operations Managers and they’re in the process of training the drivers to complete the 10–step Stretch Program throughout their day. Before stepping into the truck, then during the day when possible to stay loose and flexible and at the end of their trips. Just like athletes, our drivers need to stay loose and be strong."

Medical experts tell us that benefits from a regular stretching program include reduced muscle tension, increased range of movement in the joints, enhanced muscular coordination, increased circulation, and increased energy levels (resulting from increased circulation). "It doesn’t involve a huge time or cost commitment and we hope that we can prevent injury and improve the health of our drivers," said John Simourian II, Lily's President & CEO.

Years ago we implemented “An Apple a Day Program” where all of our drivers and operations managers are supplied with fresh apples daily. We still run this program successfully today. Last year Lily partnered with Preventure, a premium corporate wellness management firm, to promote our “Driving Better Health Program”. "We are always looking to promote wellness," said Eskel. This year John Bunevith, Lily’s Director of Human Resources and Risk Management, motivated us by sharing what he’d recently learned about the national state of truck drivers’ health. Bunevith attended the 2010 International Conference on Commercial Driver Health & Wellness in Baltimore last month. None of the news was good. 66% of truck drivers are overweight or obese and many suffer at an alarming rate of other health issues including hypertension, diabetes, gastro-intestinal issues and coronary disease.

Lily Transportation Corp. a leading provider of Dedicated Logsitics System, as been providing transportations olutions to businesses throughout the United States and Canada since 1958. Lily is a Top 100 Motor Carrier and a SmartWay Transport Partner. Form more information, visit us at http://www.lily.com or follow us on Twitter LilyDLS.

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