Demographic influence on truck driver psychology: Examining the mediating role of economic and social challenges in Indian logistics sector

• Demographic factors shape truck drivers’ psychological well-being in India’s logistics sector. • Economic and social challenges mediate demographics and driver psychological outcomes. • Age, education, family size, and working hours affect truck drivers’ mental well-being. • Low wages and high operational costs directly contribute to psychological stress. • Reducing economic insecurity can ease psychological burdens on truck drivers. This research explores the impacts of demographic variables on the psychological well-being of truck drivers working in India, such as age, education, family size, and duration of work hours. Specifically, it considers how social and economic challenges mediate this relationship. Drivers with various logistics backgrounds, including owner-operators, are surveyed via an uncomplicated random sample method. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) in Smart PLS 4.0 was applied to assess the data. The findings indicate that drivers’ mental health is significantly affected by demographic factors, owing mainly to increasing social and economic pressures. For example, low pay, high costs, and less social support render younger drivers with lower education levels and longer working hours more stressed. Enhancing economic stability and social respect for the profession can assist in lowering this tension and make the logistics industry more sustainable.