A study of 73 drivers drawn from three leading truckload fleets, Bison Transport, Freymiller Trucking and Pottle’s Transportation, which was conducted by the Bose Corp., showed that the Bose Ride seat technology was effective in reducing back pain, fatigue and other adverse effects experienced by truck drivers during the course of their day.

The study involved replacing the seats in the drivers’ trucks with Bose Ride seat. Driver were surveyed prior to the installation of the seats on levels of fatigue, back or other pain, and the impact these factors had on their ability to do their job. They were surveyed again in three months, six months and nine months when the study concluded.

According to Bose, at the beginning of the study, 35 of the 73 drivers reported that fatigue and back pain were severe enough to interfere with their work. At the end of the study period, 71 of the 73 drivers said fatigue was no longer a problem with doing their jobs while 72 said that pack pain was no longer a problem.

Michael D. Rosen, general manager, Bose Ride, said in addition to the positive feedback from the drivers involved in the study, family members also reported improvements in quality of life at home, with drivers less tired during their home time.

Garth Pitzel, director safety and driver development at Bison Transport, Winnipeg, Manitoba, said the company had completed two different fatigue studies which found that drivers were fatigued at the end of their driving shift and at the end of their driving week. With this study, using the Bose Ride seat, they found that fatigue had decreased.

He said one of the drivers’ most common comments during the study was they did not have to go to bed for six hours first thing when they got home.

He also said that some drivers were able to give up the pain relievers they used for back pain and that some reported they were not going to physical therapy session as much.

“We’re saying it’s a game changer,” Pitzel said, and that the fleet was next going to conduct an ROI study on the seats – which cost four to five times more than traditional air-suspension seats.