To help professional truck drivers lead longer, healthier lives, the Truckload Carriers Association will sponsor free health fairs at 18 TravelCenters of America/Petro Stopping Centers across the United States.

Reflecting the theme “Make Your Destination Another Birthday,” these fun, informative events will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 17, or Wednesday, Sept. 18, depending on the specific location.

Set to coincide with National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, the fairs will take place at the following TA/Petro locations:

Sept. 17:

Petro – North Little Rock, Ark.
TA – Ontario, Calif.
TA – Cartersville, Ga.
TA – Clayton, Ind.
Petro – Clearwater, Minn.
Petro – Kingdom City, Mo.
TA – Albuquerque, N.M.
TA – Fultonville, N.Y.
TA – Greensboro, N.C.
TA – Lodi, Ohio
TA – Oklahoma City, Okla.
TA – Harrisburg, Pa.
TA – West Greenwich, R.I.
TA – Antioch, Tenn.
TA – New Braunfels, Texas
TA – Salt Lake City, Utah

Sept. 18

TA – Tampa, Fla.
TA – Corfu, N.Y.

Each of these locations will provide opportunities for participants to undergo glucose and blood-pressure testing. Other activities are still being finalized, but each health fair will offer a mix of wellness-related activities, such as training on cab-friendly exercises, health and wellness trivia, basketball and/or hula hoop contests, and yoga and exercise classes.

Some locations will also feature “Celebrity Walks,” in which participants can take 1- or 2-mile walks with well-known personalities affiliated with the trucking industry.

This is the second year that TCA has worked on these fairs with other trucking-based groups to get drivers exercising, eating better, and taking charge of their bodies to combat the ill effects that a sedentary lifestyle can bring. This time, TCA is joined by the state trucking associations of Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

Along with TCA, Comdata, McLeod Software, Progressive, TA/Petro, U.S. Bank, and XRS are the official sponsors of the health fairs. Their support makes it possible to provide the fairs for free. They are also paying for special baseball caps and pins that will be given away to contest winners and Celebrity Walk participants. In addition, TA/Petro plans to give away fruit, water, and other healthy items at its 18 participating locations.

In the weeks to come, details about the health fairs – including GPS coordinates to each location, specific activities, and the names of the celebrities – will be posted to www.truckload.org/Health.