Enhancing trucker well-being: The role of cabin features and technology acceptance

Long-distance truck drivers face unique occupational challenges. The demanding nature of their job, characterised by extended periods of isolation, irregular schedules, and physical strain, contributes to higher levels of stress, health issues, and reduced well-being compared to other professions. This exploratory study examined drivers' perceptions of cabin features impacting well-being, as well as their acceptance of technology that measures physiological parameters to enhance well-being through an affect-adaptive system. 24 randomly selected long-distance truck drivers (23 male, 1 female) were interviewed at German motorway service stations. Participants were aged between 30 and 65 years (M = 49, SD = 10) with an average of 19 years of professional driving experience (SD = 13, range: 1.5 to 41 years). The participants drove trucks from six different brands, reflecting a diverse range of vehicle manufacturers. The interviews revealed that comfort, cooking equipment, and cabin size were the most positively highlighted factors. 38% of participants reported no negative cabin features. Among those who identified negative factors, poor truck or cabin amenities (21%) and discomfort related to seats and beds (13%) were frequently mentioned. Improvements to seating and sleeping comfort were the most commonly requested changes, alongside enhancements to entertainment, cooking, and storage features, as well as safety and driver-assistance systems. A majority of drivers (75%) were in favour of using gadgets to improve well-being, with smartwatches (80%) and driver-facing cameras (63%) being the most accepted, while chest straps were the least favoured (15%). Approval for personalised music and entertainment was high, but lower when auto-adaptive selection of content was proposed. Personalised lighting and time-based adaptive lighting were favoured, while mood-based adaptive lighting was less popular. These findings provide valuable insights into factors influencing driver well-being and are discussed with respect to leveraging tech gadgets to design improved future truck cabins.