Steering towards the unknown: The wellbeing of long-haul truck drivers during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Long-haul truck drivers tend to be exposed to myriad health and safety threats – a problem that was exacerbated amid the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we currently have a fragmented understanding of the demands that threaten truck drivers’ health and safety and the resources that can protect them. Drawing on a recently extended version of Job Demands-Resources theory, the present study aimed to identify these demands and resources in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of truck driver wellbeing in times of crisis. Maximum variation and snowball sampling strategies were used to recruit nine truck drivers and seven managers to participate in semi-structured interviews. All interviewees were employed full-time by Canadian trucking companies and had worked in their current position for at least one year prior to and six months during the pandemic. A thematic analysis resulted in the identification of 12 occupational and pandemic-related demands that negatively impacted drivers’ physical, psychological, and/or social wellbeing, and the identification of 4 individual-level and 4 organizational-level resources that buffered the harmful impact of these demands. In addition, our findings indicated that demands and resources originating from disparate work- and non-work domains interacted with each other to impact drivers’ wellbeing. Theoretically, this research advances the safety literature by contributing to a deeper understanding of the factors impacting employee health and safety in times of crisis. Practically, this research offers recommendations for managers of trucking firms and policymakers to protect long-haul truck drivers, which can have important downstream consequences for supply chains and the economy.