Every day, India’s truck drivers navigate long, exhausting highways, delivering over 70% of the nation’s freight. Yet, their own health often remains overlooked. These unsung heroes face a range of physical and mental challenges — from chronic fatigue and poor nutrition to limited access to healthcare. It’s time their well-being became a national priority, and the corporate sector can, and must, play a central role in driving that change.
In this insightful article, Krupa Tanna, Lead - CSR, HDB Financial Services, brings this urgent issue into sharp focus. With years of experience designing impactful social initiatives and a strong belief in collective responsibility, she advocates for targeted CSR interventions that go beyond surface-level support. Drawing from her leadership in initiatives that have reached over a million lives, Ms. Tanna outlines how businesses can champion the health of truck drivers through sustainable wellness programs, health camps, and accessible clinics. This is more than a call to action; it is a roadmap to dignity, care, and real impact on the road.
Read on to learn how corporate initiatives can steer real change for those who keep India moving.
Road to Wellness: Corporate Responsibility in Supporting Truck Driver’ Health
Responsible for transporting nearly 70% of domestic freight in the country, truck drivers in India could do with more CSR-driven wellness programs that are dedicated towards uplifting their physical and mental well-being
For a community that is tasked with transporting over 4.6 billion tonnes of goods across the country annually, India’s truck drivers are faced with several job-related challenges that pose a threat to their physical and mental well-being. These include constant fatigue due to long work hours, obesity as well as nutritional deficiencies due to irregular meal timings and posture-related pain inthe neck, back, arms and even legs. In order to alleviate these concerns, there is an urgent need to augment existing on-ground efforts by coalescing support from the country’s corporate sector. With this in mind, let us look at how businesses can channel their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spends towards initiatives that could improve the overall health and well-being of India’s truck drivers.
Conducting wellness workshops that promote a healthy lifestyle among truck drivers
In order to achieve better health outcomes, it is important to educate truck drivers on the benefits of eating right, stretching during breaks and avoiding harmful vices such as smoking or chewing tobacco. Similarly, providing them with useful tips and exercises that can be practiced in their daily life can go a long way towards enhancing their physical well-being. By organizing wellness workshops at rest stops and unloading centres along major highways, corporates can engage with a large number of truck drivers during their idle time and deploy trained professionals to counsel them individually as well.In the same vein, involving fleet owners in such workshops could enhance buy-in and motivate participants to pursue their personal wellness interests without any apprehension. To improve program effectiveness, it is recommended that companies collaborate with local NGOs and leverage their expertise in conducting such programs, with additional resources such as print and audio material provided to participants for further study.
Organizing free health checkup camps at major transport hubs
Recognizing the fact that early detection of health issues is a precursor to timely treatment, corporates can organize free health checkup camps for truck drivers at major transport hubs across the country. Apart from a thorough physical examination to check for posture related issues, participants should also be offered blood and eye tests to check for HIV/AIDS and any vision problems. Free physiotherapy and psychological counselling sessions can also be provided for those in need during such camps. Provisions should also be made such that every evaluated truck driver can visit the nearest government hospital or social health centre for further consultations and/or treatment; thereby ensuringthat they get the right care for any prevailing health concern before it metamorphizes into a serious disease or condition.
Setting up dedicated static clinics to off full-time specialised counselling and treatment
While wellness workshops and health checkup camps are hosted at temporary locations, some corporates have gone a step further and established dedicated static clinics to provide quality physio care services. While each clinic is equipped with specialised equipment and experienced medical professionals, they can be gradually expanded to deliver a range of advanced healthcare services as per individual requirements.Moreover, by setting up these clinics in prominent transport hubs across the country, truck drivers can visit them any time and avail the services offered without any hesitation. Thus, such clinics can act as dedicated physiotherapy, counselling, and therapeutic centres for the country’s truck driver community, making quality healthcare easilyaccessible for India’s highway heroesand paving the road to wellness through CSR contributions.
x
