The logbook is a weekly digest of human interest stories related to the transportation industry. This week: Werner launches her cookbook, Women in Trucking offers ideas for safer training programs, and UPS donates $1.25 million to advance underrepresented entrepreneurs.

Werner publishes cabin recipe cookbook

Truckers are twice as likely to be obese as other American workers, with the condition affecting 7 in 10 long-haul drivers, according to a study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

As a result, drivers are more likely to suffer from health issues such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, joint and back pain, and sleep apnea, which often prevents them from driving.

To help its drivers fight obesity, Werner Enterprises has launched healthy meal options recipe book this week entitled “Werner’s Cab Cafe Cookbook”.

The book consists of recipes that can be easily prepared in truck cabs, giving drivers the ability to enjoy a hot, home-cooked meal no matter where they park. Sample dishes include ramen lettuce wraps, root beer barbecue chicken, and microwave banana pudding.

It also includes a list of “suitable twists”, health suggestions and substitutes for drivers looking to completely change their eating habits, such as replacing white grains with whole grain substitutes.

Many recipes come from the Werner pilots themselves, while others come from various online sources. The cookbook also suggests drivers submit their own recipes, as the company plans to release another edition of the book in the future.

Women in Trucking Releases White Paper on Women’s Training Practices

On Tuesday, the nonprofit Women in Trucking Association (WIT) published a white paper “Same-sex training policy”, examining long-term training policies that could place women in vulnerable positions.

According to WIT, training programs often involve newly hired drivers accompanying an experienced driver on the road for an extended period of time, and drivers often end up sharing a sleeping space.

The document details the results of a survey of 430 professional drivers, including male and female perspectives. They had less than a year to over 20 years of professional driving experience.

She found that 46% of those drivers had experienced an unwanted lead while sharing a taxi with someone of the opposite sex, and 52% knew a driver who had had such experiences.

A key change suggested in the survey is to create driver-focused training programs accompanying experienced drivers of the same gender. Of those surveyed, 33% have never seen this training offer and 62.5% agree that implementing such a program would encourage women to join the industry.

For trucking companies that may not have an experienced same-sex driver, the survey suggested providing separate hotel rooms, installing in-cab technology, and staying on-site for training. as other options for added security and inclusiveness.

UPS Ignite Advances Underrepresented Entrepreneurs

The multinational courier company UPS has announced a Partnership with the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) to launch UPS Ignite, a program focused on fostering entrepreneurship in underrepresented communities.

With an investment of $1.25 million from the UPS Foundation, the program plans to provide more than 250 small and medium-sized businesses with the resources they need to grow their businesses over the next three years.

As part of Ignite’s partnership with RICE, the shipping courier will provide access to a dedicated UPS store and on-demand fulfillment center of Ware2Go solutions on the RICE campus.

Experienced UPS leaders will also give talks on topics such as franchising, e-commerce and supplier diversity for the RICE Supply Chain Accelerator program.

Watch now: What’s it like to be a driver?

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