Work-Life Conflict among U.S. Long-Haul Truck Drivers: Influences of Work Organization, Perceived Job Stress, Sleep, and Organizational Support

Abstract

Work-life balance and job stress are critical to health and well-being. Long-haul truck driving (LHTD) is among the unhealthiest and most unsafe occupations in the U.S. Despite these disparities, there are no extant published studies examining the influence of work, stress and sleep outcomes on drivers’ work-life balance. The current study investigated whether adverse work organization, stress, and poor sleep health among LHTDs are significantly associated with work-life conflict. Logistic regression was used to examine how work organization characteristics, job stress, and sleep influenced perceived stress and a composite measure of work-life conflict among a sample of 260 U.S. LHTDs. The pattern of regression results dictated subsequent analyses using structural equation modeling (SEM). Perceived job stress was the only statistically significant predictor for work-life balance. Fast pace of work, sleep duration and sleep quality were predictors of perceived job stress. SEM further elucidated that stress mediates the influences of fast work pace, supervisor/coworker support, and low sleep duration on each of the individual work-life balance indicators. There is an urgent need to address work conditions of LHTDs to better support their health, well-being, and work-life balance. Specifically, the findings from this study illustrate that scheduling practices and sleep outcomes could alleviate job stress and need to be addressed to more effectively support work-life balance. Future research and interventions should focus on policy and systems-level change.

Working nights and lower leisure-time physical activity associate with chronic pain in Southern African long-distance truck drivers: A cross-sectional study

“…Despite relationships between pain, sleep and mood [49], and between stress, sleep, and mood [55], and general comorbidity between chronic pain and stress [64], we did not find an association between markers of stress (PTSD, occurrence of traumatic life events, and potential driving-related stressors like carrying dangerous cargo) and chronic pain. Stress, therefore, may not be part of the mechanism linking pain, sleep and mood in this cohort.…”

“…Worldwide, including in South Africa, long-distance truck drivers are subject to challenging working conditions including long working hours, pressure to meet deadlines, insufficient rest, and exposure to violence such as high jacking of cargo [ 8 , 28 , 52 – 54 ]. In addition to increasing the risk of road accidents and chronic pain, working night shifts may promote stress and depressive symptoms [ 55 ]. Indeed, a meta-analysis found depression and night shift work were associated and that depression could be 40% more likely in those working night shifts [ 56 ].…”

Working nights and lower leisure-time physical activity associate with chronic pain in Southern African truck drivers: a cross-sectional study

“…Despite relationships between pain, sleep and mood (32), and between stress, sleep, and mood (48), and general comorbidity between chronic pain and stress (49), we did not find an association between markers of stress (PTSD, occurrence of traumatic life events, and potential driving-related stressors like carrying dangerous cargo) and chronic pain. Stress, therefore, may not be part of the mechanism linking pain, sleep and mood in this cohort.…”

Work-Life Balance in Great Companies and Pending Issues for Engaging New Generations at Work

“…However, and fortunately for workers, WLB is becoming a trendy topic in recent years [19] in the personal sphere and also in the organizational context [20]. Although the sectors studied are diverse, recent studies on the topic focus on health [21][22][23][24], transport [25], or education [26,27]. The study of WLB is specifically prominent in the field of public health [3].…”