Estes Express Partners with Burnalong for Driver Wellness
In May, Estes Express began utilizing Burnalong, a digital health platform that provides online classes, programs, and tailored experiences. So far, over 1,000 of its 17,000 full-time employees—primarily truck drivers—have registered for the service, according to Sara Graf, VP of sustainability, culture, and communication at Estes. The company is a leading U.S. package and less-than-truckload carrier, ranked 11th on the FleetOwner 500: Top For-Hire Fleets of 2023.
Personalized Virtual Classes for Drivers
Burnalong offers custom virtual classes designed specifically for Estes drivers, including both recorded and live videos featuring participants in parked tractor cabs. The app provides tutorials covering exercise, nutrition, stress management, meditation, mental health support, depression relief, and journaling life experiences while on the road. Users can also access personal trainers, nutritionists, and various health experts. Additionally, therapy services for Estes drivers are available outside of Burnalong through the company’s health benefits package.
Enhancing Employee Well-Being
“The pandemic highlighted the need for resources to enhance well-being—physically, mentally, and financially,” Graf noted, emphasizing that Burnalong offers a diverse range of programs that can be accessed from home or while on the road. “We have a strong health and benefits package and are continuously seeking ways to support our employees, including drivers and dockworkers.”
Real-Life Benefits of Burnalong
Although Graf is not a truck driver, she uses Burnalong herself. Recently, the app guided her through “micro-learnings” on stress reduction while she waited to pick up her daughter from practice. She remarked, “By the end of that session, I felt a weight had been lifted off me.”
Flexibility for On-the-Go Learning
“Our drivers can engage with the app at any time, whether they have just two minutes or a full hour for a course,” Graf stated. Users can customize their experience to develop sustainable habits that easily integrate into their daily routines. Graf mentioned that the app offers “small doses of learning that can accumulate over time to create significant improvements in well-being.”
Advocacy for Female Truckers’ Health
The Women In Trucking Association has become a prominent advocate for driver health, focusing on the unique fitness, dietary, and safety challenges faced by female CDL holders. The association operates a blog covering all driver-related health and wellness topics.
Practical Health Tips for Truckers
“Staying fit while on the road daily can be quite challenging,” noted Fran Bernard, a trucking industry veteran and president of International Trucking School. She emphasizes that regular exercise can improve physical and mental health while reducing the risk of conditions like hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes. Bernard offers practical tips in her blog posts for long-haul drivers, including women, on using exercise equipment, creating effective routines, following dietary plans, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the confined space of a commercial truck cab.
