Customize for Comfort: Improving Your Work Vehicle's Ergonomics

When you hear “ergonomic,” you probably think about rest. You think of memory foam mattresses, lumbar supports, and neck pillows—items designed to maximize relaxation and calm. But, in reality, ergonomics is all about efficiency. It’s about designing and using everyday objects to create working, living, and, yes, relaxing environments that are as advantageous as possible.

Whether you manage a fleet of drivers or own a commercial vehicle, improving automotive ergonomics is one of the best ways to keep drivers safe, comfortable, and effectual. Some ergonomic adjustments are about behaviour (we’ll cover those first) but some ergonomics rely on vehicle design—and we’ll walk you through those too.

Adjustments

Before you begin assessing the modifications your work vehicle needs, make the following adjustments to increase your safety and comfort today.

Headrest

Most drivers leave their headrest too low. In the event of an accident, this leaves space for the head to move, increasing the intensity of whiplash during an accident. Low headrests also encourage slouching and leaning forward, which cause neck and back issues over time.

Raise your headrest so that the top lines up with the top of your head. This way, the rest supports your neck and head completely.

Seat

Long drives can leave you feeling stiff and sore. Improper seat placement is one of the biggest risk factors for driver injury. To improve seating ergonomics, take the following steps:

• • Set your seat back as far as you can without affecting your access to the pedals and controls.
• • Incline your seat at an approximately 30° angle.
• • Set your seat and cushion height to their lowest positions.

If you experience back pain while driving, you may want to use a lumbar rest to support the natural curve of your spine. You can also change your seat adjustment slightly every half hour or so to give your body a break from long-term, same-direction vibrations.

Steering Wheel

Wheel height affects your arms, shoulders, wrists, and back. For maximum comfort, raise the wheel and move it close to you.

Customizations

In a work vehicle there are other ergonomic factors to consider. These include accessibility, lifting, and entry and exit. Consider hiring a professional upfitter to make the following customizations for increased security and ease.

1. Adjust interior partitions for optimal driver comfort.
Partitions between the cargo area and cabin of a van keep your drivers safe. But they can also make it difficult for your drivers to properly adjust their seats (this is a particular problem with taller drivers). Talk to an upfitter about moving the partition back farther to better accommodate your drivers.

2. Check that all mounted equipment is secure.
Whether you’re installing new interior shelving or a roof rack, inspect the strength of the mounting. Loose fixture or improper welds endanger your drivers and vehicles.

3. Decrease the risk of control error.
Authorities attribute many commercial vehicle accidents to control errors. If possible, have your drivers use the same vehicle on each trip. Work with an upfitter to standardize and improve the access to these controls.

4. Decrease vehicle vibration. 
Prolonged exposure to intense vibrations, such as those created when driving on unpaved roads, causes many health issues. In the hands and arms, vibration exposure decreases grip strength, inhibits circulation, and decreases sensation in the area. Researchers link whole-body vibration to back and neck injuries, fatigue, headaches, and balance loss. Lifts and improved suspension minimize the vibration experienced by your drivers.

5. Install storage methods that make a technicians most frequently used tools easy to access.
Options include permanent tool boxes, slide-out cargo trays, drop-down ladder racks, and exterior side-access panels.

6. Minimize the strain of loading and unloading heavy cargo or equipment.
Even using proper lifting techniques, the more frequently your drivers must lift heavy goods, the higher the risk of injury. If your drivers must lift heavy cargo throughout the day or one piece of heavy equipment multiple times each day, provide lifting leverage. Options include shelving that keeps heavy goods off the floor, liftgates or internal cranes, and ramps.

7. Minimize the strain of vehicle entry and exit.
To do this, you may change the height of the outdoor step or install a running board. Running boards can also provide better access to the bed of a work truck. You can also install grab handles to help drivers board particularly tall commercial vehicles.

Whichever modifications you make, include a professional automotive technician in the process.

Unlicensed technicians often make mistakes which make these customizations intrusive instead of helpful. For example, it may make sense to install equipment in your vehicle cabs. But, if that equipment blocks your drivers’ sightlines, it’s more dangerous than ergonomic.

To improve driver health, moral, and efficiency, evaluate your commercial vehicles. Then, consult with a professional upfitter to determine how you can make your work trucks and vans safer and more comfortable through ergonomics.