A Perth truckie has said more needs to be done to alert drivers of the dangers of diabetes, and encourage them to change their lifestyles before it’s too late.
MC driver Greg Ross was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2018, and told Big Rigs that he knows an “astounding” number of other truck drivers with the condition.
“You can see the guys in their 30s who are heading for diabetes, and you just want to shout ‘Stop! Stop!’” he said.
“It almost seems like every second driver has it.
“I honestly think it’s more of a danger to truckies than inexperienced drivers on the road.”
Ross pointed out that diabetes can come with a number of complications, from blindness to amputations, and can even be fatal if left untreated.
This National Diabetes Week, the 73-year-old is calling on transport operators and the government to step up and do something.
“Companies and governments need to be doing far more to alert truckies to how bad this is,” he said.
“We need to reach the drivers who are pre-diabetic and get them to change their lifestyle, and get the drivers who are already diabetic to start taking [the diabetes medication] Ozempic.
“Because diabetes really is a killer, and it’s coming for us.”
Ross, who was a marketing manager and CEO before he started driving road trains in his 60s, said the sedentary lifestyle that comes with being a truckie compounded some of his already existing health issues.
“In my previous career, there were a lot of long lunches, and that was just compounded by the truckie lifestyle – eating terrible food, working terrible hours, and sitting down all the bloody time.
“I was exhausted and piling on the weight.”
Ross said many things worked against him when he tried to improve his diet – like bringing healthy food with him in the truck when driving interstate, only to have it confiscated.
“You try to bring fruit for a healthy snack and it’s taken off you the minute you get to the WA border,” he said.
“There are no allowances given to truckies – so you go to a roadhouse and get yourself some deep-fried chips, or you grab a chicken roll and eat it in your truck because you’re tight on time.
“People don’t even realise how much sugar is in food and drinks, from iced coffees to tomato sauce. They are full of the stuff.”
Ross’s doctor put him on the diabetes medication Ozempic in April, and it has changed his life.
“In just a few months I’ve gone back to being pre-diabetic, and I feel fantastic.
“I’m 73 years old and working 12-hour days, five or six days in a row, without a problem!”
Driving with diabetes
According to Austroads, a person with diabetes treated by diet and exercise alone may drive a heavy vehicle without licence restriction. They should be reviewed by their doctor periodically regarding the progression of their diabetes.
If a driver has diabetes treated with insulin or other glucose-lowering agents, a conditional licence may be considered by the driver licencing authority, subject to at least annual review. This will take into consideration “the nature of the driving task” and information provided by an endocrinologist or consultant physician specialising in diabetes on whether the following criteria are met:
• There is no recent history (generally at least 6 weeks) of a “severe hypoglycaemic event” as assessed by the specialist.
• The person is following a treatment regimen that minimises the risk of hypoglycaemia.
• The person experiences early warning symptoms (awareness) of hypoglycaemia.
• There are no end-organ effects that may affect driving.
National Diabetes Week runs from July 14-21, 2024. For more information about diabetes, visit diabetesaustralia.com.au.