Geotab & Healthy Heads partner to boost mental health in transport

Geotab has announced a partnership with Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds to address mental health and safety in Australia's transport and logistics sector.

The partnership brings together Geotab's telematics and data expertise and Healthy Heads' advocacy and program delivery in a bid to improve the wellbeing of those working across transport, warehousing, and logistics industries.

Mental health challenges

The focus of the collaboration is on tackling industry-specific pressures that affect mental and physical health, such as long working hours, loneliness, and stressful conditions related to congestion and tight delivery deadlines. The transport and logistics sector has faced long-standing challenges around driver welfare, with elevated risks of workplace stress, fatigue, and safety incidents.

Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds was founded in 2020 by a group of major Australian organisations, including Australia Post, Woolworths, Toll, Linfox and Coles, to address the need for comprehensive support programs for workers in the supply chain. The foundation's remit covers national resources, training and advocacy for better workplace wellbeing across the country.

Insights from industry data

Recent research by Geotab has shown that 68% of drivers say work-related stress has a negative influence on their performance, while 78% believe mental health is a factor in road dangers. The study also revealed that 34% of drivers have considered leaving their jobs in the last twelve months due to these pressures.

The new collaboration between Geotab and Healthy Heads will centre on developing and rolling out new campaigns and interventions focused on awareness, early help-seeking, and improved health outcomes. Geotab will contribute its resources in telematics and analytics, aiming to help design scalable, practical initiatives informed by data-driven insights that can be implemented across businesses of all sizes.

Role of technology

"Driver safety and well-being is at the core of Geotab's mission, we recognize that individuals working in this sector face numerous challenges that impact their wellbeing," said Sean Killen, Vice President of Global Markets at Geotab. "In the future, I believe the use of technology can help support the Australian trucking community by using advances in AI to help predict problems before they arise. Long hours, isolation, congestion and tight delivery deadlines are some of the factors contributing to this situation. Plain and simple, being a truck driver is difficult. We are proud to support Healthy Heads, together we can bring visibility to mental health and wellbeing, making it an ongoing priority across the industry."

Geotab's commitment will involve integration of its technological capabilities with Healthy Heads' existing advocacy and program delivery, with an emphasis on preventative approaches that leverage predictive analytics to flag wellbeing concerns before they escalate.

Commitment to wellbeing

"Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds is proud to welcome Geotab as a Premier Partner," said Healthy Heads CEO Naomi Frauenfelder. "Geotab brings deep expertise in safety, data and connected fleet technology, all of which are capabilities that align with our mission to improve the wellbeing of every individual in the logistics supply chain. We look forward to working together to make a lasting difference across the sector."

This partnership is expected to expand the reach of programs for psychological and physical health in transport and logistics. By combining their strengths, both organisations aim to enable employers and industry leaders to take actionable steps towards safer, more supportive workplaces.

Healthy Heads will continue to focus on collaboration across the sector to ensure that drivers and warehouse workers are equipped with the knowledge, resources, and support needed to address mental health concerns and promote resilience.

The partnership will also contribute to wider conversations about the structural and psychological challenges affecting Australia's supply chain workforce, supporting data-informed strategies to address issues of retention, safety, and wellbeing.