Is R.U.O.K. Day okay?

May 16th is R.U.O.K. Day.

Some might question the benefits of such a campaign. After all, what good will it do? One day of asking if someone is okay – where will this take us?

Let’s take a look. 

Trucking has always been associated with some pretty hard characters. The attribute tested most is mental toughness. Long hours concentrating on the road alone is enough to make a person crack.

The traditional response to this is to harden up and not let anything in to soften their resolve, even to tease, taunt and joke with other truckers on the road, sometimes with gallows humour about the conditions they faced.

Long hours and merciless schedules would pile on, and our tough trucker often could say nothing about it without seeming either soft or insubordinate. The job depended on a steely face.

In the modern era, we see the disastrous results of an overscheduled driver in a different light. No longer do we see fatigue-related incidents as the sole responsibility of the stoic driver, but a problem that the whole team can help to solve.

The responsibility for spotting mental health issues now rests with management, so they are now very willing to hear of any signs that someone may be suffering. A driver could have recently suffered a loss or be carrying anxiety that is affecting their sleep, and with that knowledge there are many helpful ways to assist.

But logistical managers might not have the best skills to either kick this off or handle what comes up. Often a third party is needed to get things going, and to point the people who need help in the right direction.

What kind of response will fellow drivers get from each other asking if they are okay? Likely either “Fine mate, fine.” or some quick witted humour. I doubt many responses will be worthy of Freud’s couch.

So what will it do? 

It will remind us to take stock of ourselves.

In preparing for work, we often neglect our own mental and emotional state as a factor, overlooking it to perform the next task. “Are you Okay?” is the reminder that we need to check ourselves just as we need to check the brakes and tyres. 

It will break the stigma of silence around our own state of mind, even if in joke form. Ever hear the phrase ‘many a true word has been spoken in jest’? That first joking response will let the truth come out, and prompt an honest assessment of your own state. 

It will let you know what you can do about it. “Joking aside, here’s a number. Joking aside, talk to your supervisor;” but joking is the first step.

Will one day do it? Maybe it will. That one day, May 16th, will break the ice, enabling drivers to honestly check if they are okay, and what to do about it.

Every team member needs to know the signs, to pull together as a team, and that there are programs to help. Drivers need to know that admitting that a situation is becoming overwhelming will not be met with derision, but with compassion and solutions. 

This is how we can avoid incidents and help those drivers continue a long and healthy career.

We know this all seems a little overwhelming and it can be hard to know where to begin. Trying to run a company while paying attention to everything that could go wrong is an almost impossible task, which is why we do what we do.

Give us a call or visit us here to get in touch, we can take care of your team’s mental health checks, help set up a team mental health plan, and keep everyone in good spirits.