The life expectancy of a commercial truck driver is 61 years old; this is 16 years lower than the national average.
Health risks come with being a professional driver such as the lifestyle of a commercial truck driver & suggest expected shorter lifespan for truck drivers.
orlandodotphysicals.com
Ok.
Define commercial truck driver.
Why? Because we are commercial truck drivers true....but not over the road long haul types(sleepers excepted).
Now, feeders can seem like it. But I submit pkg car can seem like it too. Feeders home every night/day gives at least the possibility of exercise and convenience of meal possibilities. Now over the road trucking can allow for a healthier lifestyle...but if you've ever done it....it takes a lot of effort...especially UPS sleepers as in my experience(we don't stop and have a lot of free time).
Think of all the dust inhaled on some routes. Think of all that box dust and how generally dirty you are after 10 hours of delivering. Those salt stains on your uniform didn't get there by accident....we had a nervous type of guy we called "The coal miner"....he wiped his face a lot with pkg car black hands....he also smoked like a chimney(chronic)...was also one of the few flabby pkg car drivers....actually overweight.
I know of very few UPS'ers that died at 61 or just about anyone for that matter. I realize exceptions.
If a guy gets bladder cancer.....was it from drinking water from lead lined pipes as a kid or adult? Or 5 Mountain Dews every day? Big gulps...? Or mineral water(healthy right) in plastic bottles....See?
I was just at a memorial in Aug 2021 for a dear friend. Met some 35 years ago, he followed me into feeder, we have been best friends all this time. He retired at 59. Died in less than two years of retirement just turning 61. Bladder Cancer
I worked with another guy who bragged that both parents lived to be over 100. He expected he would do the same. He retired at 55 dies 18 months later pancreatic cancer.
I will never forget Harry! When I started he mentored me. Gave me sage advice early on in the 70's "Its their dispatch, just give a 100% and let the rest fall on them" I asked him the weeks leading up to retirement watcha gonna do Harry???? He would just say Watch football and drink a few beers. He died less than 6 months later at 65 years of age. Heart attack. Another thing about Harry was he kept telling me "get financially ready for retirement, comes quicker than you think". I took that advice!
Take from this what you will on longevity after UPS.
Like many I started part time and never thought I would work long term at UPS! Many have said the same thing!
I walked out at 49 years of age Retired and HAPPY! 16 plus years for me!
He(your friend) very nearly made it to life expectancy. Not much more you can ask for. With all respect to your friend(With sincerity)....a lot of heart disease is highly treatable if not preventable....(there is a lot of variables there). FOR EXAMPLE: MY BROTHER IN LAW went to have a stress test in his early 50's....he is a big boy(6'3 300) and what a surprise....4 stints later(and was completely, utterly surprised). Ate anything he wanted and loathed exercise of any type...I mean HATED it. Bitched at mowing the grass....see? He was a an ATT phone guy...not a commercial truck driver. He made it to retirement and now in his early 60's.....but I would not(and just about anyone in the family) be surprised at that 2am phone call....
I had a grandmother died at 97....never knew what "exercise was" and kept a 5 gallon can of lard under the sink....ate pinto beans and cornbread, whatever pie she made, some fried whatever garden veg 2 meals a day 7 days a week(till she died). Born in 1910. You can imagine what life was like in rural OK. My grandfather(her husband)? died at 72...as a life long heavy smoker, pipeline welder...born 1912. Lung cancer...smoked until hospital wouldn't let him....where he died.
Message?......it just depends.
