Con-way Freight has launched an expansion of its wellness program in which trained health and fitness professionals provided by Wellness Coaches USA are stationed at the company's freight service centers.


Initially rolled out at 14 company facilities across eight states, the company is expanding the initiative into an additional 52 facilities in another 13 states. By the close of 2008, the program will be available to 6,400 employees at 66 facilities in 21 states.

In conjunction with the program expansion, Con-way Freight launched a 10-week weight loss competition titled "Choose to Lose." The competition is open to employees throughout the company's network of locations. Participating employees will attend periodic weigh-ins, with $100, $50 and $25 clothing store gift certificates to be awarded to the first-, second- and third-place winners in each of the wellness program's regions. There will also be an award for the service center with the greatest participation.

The company's program expansion targets 14 geographical clusters where a single wellness coach will serve multiple operating locations. Coaches will be covering facilities in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

As the program has grown, so have the results, which to date have included:
• Nearly 831 employees losing a combined total of 6,269 pounds
• More than 170 employees quitting smoking
• 669 employees reducing blood pressure from hypertensive levels
• Nearly 1,470 employees improving overall health through exercise and diet regimens that lowered blood pressure
• More than 5,300 employees attending a combined total of 74,360 one-on-one coaching sessions

Wellness Coaches USA coaches have integrated into Con-Way's structure and culture. They begin at each operating location by offering initial health risk assessments along with biometric testing including blood pressure and body composition evaluations. Employees may then choose to participate in one-on-one health-risk coaching to address issues uncovered by the testing. In addition, coaches develop and promote wellness programming such as walking, weight loss and smoking cessation contests, health fairs and informational displays. They also assist with company-wide efforts like a video-based injury-prevention stretching program launched at every company location in early April.