Moto launches ‘Cabversation’ wellbeing campaign for HGV drivers

Moto Hospitality - in partnership with Mind and SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health), and with the support of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) - is launching a ‘cabversation’ campaign to encourage HGV drivers to connect and talk to one another when taking a break at its service stations.

The campaign is in response to reports that an estimated 41% of ill health is caused by work-related stress, depression or anxiety in the transport and storage sector.

To launch the #cabversation campaign, HGV drivers are being encouraged to use the 60 talking benches installed at Moto service stations across the UK, which provide a physical space for HGV drivers to start a ‘cabversation’ with one another.

Website articles, social media content and digital signage at Moto sites across the country, will also encourage HGV drivers to connect and share how they are feeling with others.

The campaign will utilise expertise from Mind and SAMH to provide HGV drivers with the tools to connect with others while taking a break at Moto service stations.

On July 1, 2022, following a company-wide colleague vote, Moto Foundation, which is the charitable arm of Moto Hospitality, the UK’s largest motorway services operator, launched a partnership with Mind, the leading mental health charity in England and Wales, and SAMH, Scotland’s mental health charity. The charity partnership will run for five years and aims to raise £1.25 million.

The partnership will enable Mind and SAMH to continue to provide support services, and campaign for the one in four people that will experience a mental health problem every year. SAMH operates an Information Service and over 70 services in communities across Scotland, with support ranging from mental health social care to employment and addictions services, while Mind provides a helpline and peer support communities across England and Wales. Some of the money raised will also go towards the Local Mind Grants Fund (LMGF). This fund supports local Minds to deliver mental health projects and services in their communities.

Through its fundraising, the Trust also aims to drive awareness and open up conversations about mental health among its colleagues and customers.

Moto chief executive, Ken McMeikan, said: “We are enormously proud to have partnered with Mind and SAMH to launch our cabversation campaign to help with a key issue that HGV drivers across the nation face every day on the UK’s road network.

“The campaign will provide HGV drivers visiting our sites with the vital knowledge and means to connect with one another while taking a relaxing break at Moto service areas.

“Meaningful moments of connection are crucial to promoting better mental health and wellbeing, as well as providing drivers with the emotional support they need. We hope that our campaign will allow HGV drivers to take the time to connect with others and talk.”

Mind CEO, Sarah Hughes, said: “We’re grateful to Moto Hospitality for their support and we’re excited to see the impact of the cabversation campaign.

Through this campaign, we’ll be able to encourage HGV drivers, many of whom have expressed feelings of loneliness while on the roads, to connect with each other. This is important as connecting with others can help improve our mental wellbeing and create a sense of belonging. This is crucial as the pandemic has had a devastating effect on the nation’s mental health, especially for those of us with existing mental health problems, and the cost-of-living crisis is only making matters worse.”

Billy Watson, chief executive at SAMH, said: “We know times are tough, and people working in isolated roles sometimes feel like they have to face mental health problems alone. This campaign is hoping to change that for HGV drivers by creating opportunities to make links and start meaningful conversations. Connecting with others can bring so many benefits to our mental health and wellbeing, and I’d like to thank Moto Hospitality for helping to support that.”

Richard Smith, RHA managing director, said: “We’d encourage truckers to use these facilities and talk to each other because driving lorries can be a very solitary job.”

“Many people suffer with loneliness and anxiety when they’re away from home, which is why it can make such a difference to stay connected with support networks and make new ones. Connecting with others can help to improve mental health and wellbeing, creating a sense of belonging while improving a sense of feelings of self-worth and providing an opportunity for people to share experiences and to offer emotional support.”

Moto, Mind and SAMH’s cabversation campaign will seek to demonstrate how HGV customers can make a difference to other driver’s days with a meaningful moment of connection.

The campaign will also aim to harness the power of a journey, encouraging road users to use the time and space that journeys can provide in the best way – whether that is having a chat with a fellow driver or picking up the phone to a loved one while taking a break.

Moto says its mission is to ‘brighten people’s journeys through life’ and the cabversation campaign is the latest in a line of initiatives to bring this to life.

[1] HSE – Transportation and storage statistics in Great Britain