With National Trucking Week beginning on Sunday, mental health is on the minds of many freight transportation companies.

Truck drivers are loaded with many responsibilities and are under immense pressure all day, said Chester Bartel, a partner-owner of Bartel Bulk Freight in Morris.

"They have huge responsibilities, much more than the average person," Bartel said.

Drivers are away from family and friends for extended periods of time and are often in isolation. With disrupted sleep schedules and little time for breaks, they battle fatigue among other challenges, like dangerous weather conditions, eating habits, equipment break-downs, managing time, and meeting government regulations.

Bartel says in addition to these hurdles, drivers are often given a bad rap.

"The general public, even without knowing it, a lot of the people consider truck drivers as second grade, and that often comes through with hand gestures from [a] car [and] pickup drivers, from the shippers and receivers, from even the local people," he said.

In any given week, 500,000 employed Canadians are unable to work due to a mental health issue, and the cost of a disability leave is about twice the cost of a leave due to physical illness, according to Trucking HR Canada, an organization that initiates collaboration and dialogue about human resource matters within the Canadian trucking industry.

"For people that work in isolation, a big risk is becoming more depressed. I would say with truckers when they are driving independently for long hours, spending a lot of time away from home, they're more likely to be isolated and less connected with their social supports than they normally would be ... which all are risk factors for depression and anxiety," said Lindsay Hainsworth, Shared Care Mental Health Clinician.

Trucking HR Canada announced a project on mental health in the trucking and logistics industry in March. The initiative, spanning over two years, will aim to teach trucking and logistics employers about the importance of psychological health in the workplace, and develop resources and tools to support employers in addressing employee mental health, according to the organization's website.

With resources in the field, some drivers are still hesitant to seek help.

"A lot of people won't because they may fear being made fun of or [to] admitting that they have some stress," Bartel said.

This reluctance may stem from gender. Men make up 97 percent of truck drivers in the country, according to Trucking HR Canada.

"There is sometimes a stigma when you're a male with reaching out for help and that mentality that [they] need to 'suck it up,' and so I definitely think there is a reason, as well, with that why people are resistant to seeking out help," Hainsworth said.

She said one method of reducing one's risk of depression and anxiety is being aware of the things that cause those feelings in the first place, and then taking the steps of minimizing those risks.

Hainsworth suggests that truck drivers try to maintain regular contact with their family and friends, no matter the distance.

"Making sure those contacts are a good quality of interaction; talking on the phone versus texting; being able to Facetime so you can see who you're talking to," she said.

Hainsworth adds, being active, meal planning, and improving stress response through meditation and breathing exercises can also be helpful. She recommends anyone who feels their mental health is being impacted by work, to speak to their employee assistance plan if they have one, visit a doctor, or call a mental health crisis line.