Last week, the Truckload Carriers Association announced that the organization will be sponsoring free health fairs at select TravelCenters of America and Petro locations for drivers during Truck Driver Appreciation Week to help drivers “lead longer, healthier lives.”
The fairs will take place at the following TA/Petro locations:
September 17
- Petro – North Little Rock, Arkansas
- TA – Ontario, California
- TA – Cartersville, Georgia
- TA – Clayton, Indiana
- Petro – Clearwater, Minnesota
- Petro – Kingdom City, Missouri
- TA – Albuquerque, New Mexico
- TA – Fultonville, New York
- TA – Greensboro, North Carolina
- TA – Lodi, Ohio
- TA – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- TA – Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- TA – West Greenwich, Rhode Island
- TA – Antioch, Tennessee
- TA – New Braunfels, Texas
- TA – Salt Lake City, Utah
September 18
- TA – Tampa, Florida
- TA – Corfu, New York
Glucose and blood-pressure testing testing will be provided at each location. In addition, the health fair will have a number of activities such as yoga, cab-friendly exercise training, basketball, hula hoop contests and trivia.
Some locations will also feature “Celebrity Walks,” in which participants can take 1- or 2-mile walks with well-known personalities affiliated with the trucking industry.
This is the second year that TCA has worked on these fairs with other trucking-based groups to get drivers exercising, eating better, and taking charge of their bodies to combat the ill effects that a sedentary lifestyle can bring. This time, TCA is joined by the state trucking associations of Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.
“As a former state trucking association executive, I’m pleased to see that the number of state organizations supporting this endeavor has doubled from last year,” said Chris Burruss, TCA’s president. “The health fairs will be successful only if people know about them – and it’s the local groups that have the ability to get the word out the fastest and most effectively.”
The fairs are sponsored by the TCA, Comdata, McLeod Software, Progressive, U.S. Bank and XRS.
“We are thrilled again to participate in TCA’s efforts to bring health awareness to our nation’s drivers,” said Thomas O’Brien, president and CEO of TravelCenters of America. “Last year’s events were well received. This year, with more of our locations involved, we look forward to bringing a message of health to our customers and to have some fun doing it.”
In the weeks to come, details about the health fairs – including GPS coordinates to each location, specific activities, and the names of the celebrities – will be posted to www.truckload.org/Health, the Facebook page for the events. Be sure to “like” the page to receive the most current updates as they become available.