Published November 2025, STAT News highlighted the urgent need for better health solutions in trucking — and how Project 61 and Offshift are helping lead the way.
Read the full STAT story here →
🚛 A Problem Hiding in Plain Sight
For decades, the trucking industry has faced a health crisis that too few have talked about. The average life expectancy of a long-haul truck driver is just 61 years old, and rates of obesity, diabetes, and depression far outpace those of the general population.
The STAT article shared the story of Steve and Gina Jones, two professional drivers who, like so many others, found themselves caught in the cycle of poor food options, long hours, and limited access to care. With the support of Offshift, a digital health app built specifically for truck drivers, they began taking simple, consistent steps toward better health - eating smarter, moving more, and feeling stronger together.
💡 Technology with a Human Touch
When Project 61 acquired Offshift earlier this year, our mission was clear: make health accessible to every driver - free of charge. We recognized that while one-on-one coaching can be life-changing, the greatest impact comes from access and awareness.
Offshift’s new model provides the app free to any driver, thanks to sponsorships from partners across the industry. The platform is designed around a simple idea: meet drivers where they are - in their trucks, on the road, and in their daily routines.
Instead of hour-long gym workouts or unrealistic diets, Offshift offers short, practical habits drivers can actually sustain - a few laps around the lot during a break, a 10-minute cab workout, or better food choices at a truck stop. Every driver can start small and still make a meaningful difference.
❤️ Building a Healthier, Longer Life Behind the Wheel
This national spotlight reinforced something we say often at Project 61: this is not just about weight loss. It’s about life expectancy, energy, confidence, and community.
Truck drivers are 6.2 times more likely to experience depression than office workers - a statistic that underscores how isolation, fatigue, and stress weigh as heavily as physical strain. Our goal is to tackle both: the physical and the emotional sides of driver health.
That’s why Project 61 pairs technology with community. The Fall 2025 61-Day Step Challenge is one example - encouraging drivers to move more, connect with others, and rediscover their own strength. Over 200 companies have already joined the challenge to promote movement, accountability, and shared progress.
🧭 The Road Ahead
We’re deeply grateful to STAT News and journalist Katie Palmer for shining a national light on this issue - and on the hardworking men and women who keep our country moving.
At Project 61, we believe drivers deserve the same investment in their health that they give to maintaining their trucks. Together with our partners, we’re building something bigger than an app - we’re building a movement to help drivers live longer, stronger, and healthier lives.
📲 Learn More
Read the STAT feature: “Many truck drivers don’t live past 61. Could digital health help?” — by Katie Palmer, STAT News (November 18, 2025)
(Photography by Caitlin O’Hara for STAT)
Learn more about how Project 61 and Offshift are working to change the story for America’s professional drivers.