Welcome to

“Firstly, are you OK?” Channelling my inner Holly Willoughby isn’t meant to rile you in the same way that seeing “I hope you’re well” at the top of an email seemingly sends some people apoplectic with rage. It’s merely a question that we probably don’t ask ourselves enough. Life – both work and private – can be stressful, busy, tiring and overwhelming, so I genuinely think that it is worth checking in on yourself and how you are actually doing.

This level of ‘wellness’ is a topic that has had an increasingly brighter light shone on it for a number of years – certainly since the pandemic. In this issue of Fleet World, we concentrate on ‘health’ within a fleet setting – from all different aspects. Neurodiversity, for example, is another hot topic right now and, again, something that probably warrants more attention than it currently receives. Meanwhile, there’s a feature about back pain – what causes it and can be done about it – and also advice and guidance on how to look after yourselves and each other.

As a slight aside, I write these words having just listened to a truck fleet operator who has given his vehicles an upgrade in the name of health and wellbeing. For example, he’s added bike carriers to the trucks – for drivers to use if they are away from home or have downtime they could get by getting some exercise in – as well as air fryers. Many of these additions have come about from feedback or requests from drivers so, whichever side of the fence you might be, it’s always worth either speaking up or listening to your colleagues.

Of course, how healthy a fleet is can also be judged by factors such as efficiency, total cost of ownership and vehicle choices. These non-human factors can be equally important as physical health when looking at it from a business point of view, so we’ve got some big names weighing in on that side of the issue.

Enjoy the issue!

John Challen Editor