Truckers put health in the spotlight

Prostate cancer and driver wellness form the basis of two awareness campaigns involving South Africa’s trucking community    

South Africa’s annual Prostate Awareness Truck Convoy will soon be chugging through the streets of Boksburg from Carnival City to raise awareness of prostate cancer and to generate funds, food and soft toys for charity.

Based at Carnival City’s Festival Lawns, the event will take place on November 10, focusing on men’s health and creating awareness of prostate and breast cancer, with Pink Drive and More Balls than Most conducting screening and testing on site.

Entertainment is scheduled to include displays of trucks, cars and motorcycles; automotive exhibits; a strongman competition; jumping castles for kids; live music; and plenty of food. There will also be an opportunity to taste potjiekos cooked by entrants in a competition, which is scheduled to be judged at 14:30.

The highlight of the event is a truck convoy that travels from Carnival City to Boksburg as part of the event’s awareness drive.

If you have not yet registered to take part in the convoy, or if you want to exhibit on the day of the event, contact Sarita on 083 468 2140 or e-mail orliflex@gmail.com. Also follow on Facebook @ https://web.facebook.com/prostatecancertruckrun/.

Entrance to the event costs R20 per person and one soft toy or food item per family. Children under six enter for free.

Meanwhile, fuel supplier Engen has helped to put wellness in the spotlight this Transport Month by providing truck drivers with free health screenings. The programme, run in association with Thubelihle Occupational Health & Wellness (TOCH), has involved the setting up of mobile clinics at selected Engen truck stops and retail service stations, where free screenings for cholesterol, diabetes and HIV/Aids have been conducted by qualified nurses and councillors.

The campaign began on October 21 at Engen Gateway Truckstop in Musina, and is scheduled to end on November 6 in the Eastern Cape. A total of 18 sites in four provinces will have been visited.

Unathi Magida, Engen’s head of Transformation and Stakeholder Engagement, says the primary aim of Engen Driver Wellness is to improve health through awareness. “Given the long hours many truck drivers spend on the road and the stresses associated with the job, these interventions form a critical pillar of support.

“It is therefore essential to remind drivers and Engen forecourt staff why their health is so important and how lifestyle choices impact on their well-being. Ultimately, voluntary testing will improve their health, safety, well-being and productivity.”

Magida says an indication that Engen Driver Wellness – now in its eighth year – is making a difference is evident in the increasing number of drivers who elect to use the service.

“In 2017 and 2018, approximately 4 750 truck drivers took advantage of the screenings. As testing is voluntary, the incremental acceptance of health management as a path to longevity and well-being are important indicators that Engen’s health empowerment is gaining traction,” Magida concludes.