Driving Through the Storm: The Free Mental Health Guide Every HGV Driver Should Read
Mark Cowan's free ebook "Driving Through the Storm" offers real talk from one driver to another — covering anxiety, depression, PTSD, burnout, and practical CBT tools designed for life on the road. Here's why every driver should download it.
Real Talk from One Driver to Another
In an industry where one in four drivers suffers from some form of mental illness, yet only 22% feel comfortable confiding in a supervisor, the silence around mental health has gone on far too long. That is exactly why Mark Cowan sat down and wrote "Driving Through the Storm: Mental Health Awareness for Professional HGV Drivers" — a free ebook that speaks to drivers in their own language, without lectures, without judgment, and without the corporate box-ticking that so many of us have learned to tune out.
Mark is not a therapist writing from a clinic. He is a driver who has lived through medical PTSD and knows first-hand what it feels like when the road gets inside your head. As he puts it:
"This isn't another lecture or box-ticking, it's real talk from one driver to another, sharing coping strategies that have helped us weather the storm. From traffic delays and delivery pressures spiking anxiety to near-misses triggering PTSD, we've been there, and these tools can make the difference between a rough day and a serious crisis."
That authenticity is what makes this ebook different from anything else out there.
The Numbers That Should Alarm Us All
The statistics behind this initiative paint a picture that the wider public rarely sees. Consider what the research tells us about the people who keep this country moving:
| Statistic | What It Means |
|---|---|
| 1 in 4 HGV drivers suffer from mental illness | A quarter of every cab park is silently struggling |
| 44% report higher rates of depression | Nearly half of all drivers are affected |
| 20% higher suicide rate than the national average | Our industry is losing people |
| 90% say stress impacts their driving | Mental health is a road safety issue |
| 57% receive no mental health support from employers | The majority are left to cope alone |
| 30% of transport illnesses are mental health-related | It is not just physical wear and tear |
Perhaps most critically, poor mental health nearly doubles the risk of road traffic collisions by impairing reaction times, focus, and decision-making. This is not just a wellbeing issue — it is a safety issue that affects every road user in the country.
What the Ebook Covers
"Driving Through the Storm" is structured as a practical, portable guide that a driver can dip into during a rest break, a layover, or a quiet moment in the cab. It covers the five major mental health challenges facing professional drivers, each with real-world examples and triggers that will feel immediately familiar.
Anxiety — the constant what-ifs that build up over a shift. Will I make the delivery window? What if there is an accident ahead? What if the load is not right? Mark breaks down how anxiety works in a driver's daily life and offers tools to manage it before it spirals.
Depression in the Driver's Seat — the low moods that creep in during long stretches of motorway, the isolation of eating alone in a service station car park, the feeling of being disconnected from family and friends. The ebook addresses depression with honesty and practical steps.
Stress — from back-to-back shifts and impossible schedules to difficult loading bays and aggressive traffic, the triggers are relentless. Mark identifies the specific stressors that drivers face and offers strategies that work within the constraints of the job.
PTSD: When the Road Haunts You — near-misses, witnessing accidents, being involved in incidents that replay in your mind long after the engine is off. This section is written with particular sensitivity, drawing on Mark's own experience with medical PTSD.
Burnout: The Silent Exhaustion — the point where you are running on empty but keep going because the job demands it. Recognising burnout before it becomes a crisis is one of the most important skills a driver can develop.
Practical Tools You Can Use Today
What sets this ebook apart from a general mental health leaflet is that every tool has been designed with drivers in mind. These are not techniques that require a quiet room and an hour of free time — they are built for the cab, the truck stop, and the ten-minute rest break.
The Worry Tree is a structured way to sort through anxious thoughts and decide which ones need action and which ones can be let go. It is based on established CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) principles but adapted so a driver can work through it with a pen and a napkin.
Grounding Techniques help bring you back to the present moment when flashbacks, panic, or overwhelming thoughts take hold. These are particularly valuable for drivers dealing with PTSD symptoms.
Mindfulness on the Move offers short, practical exercises that fit into the rhythm of a driving day — during a fuel stop, waiting for a loading bay, or sitting in the cab before starting the engine.
Embracing Uncertainty addresses one of the biggest anxiety triggers in haulage — the unpredictability of every shift. Routes change, delays happen, plans fall apart. This section helps drivers build resilience around the things they cannot control.
The ebook also includes guidance on building your personal toolkit, creating a staying well action plan, and understanding the difference between lapses and relapses — because recovery is not a straight line, and a bad day does not mean you are back to square one.
Free for Everyone — Including Training Resources
"Driving Through the Storm" was published by DEK Group NE Consultancy & Training in collaboration with EMPI Awards and the Specialist Transport & Logistics Awards. It is completely free to download and share.
But Mark and the team went further than just an ebook. They have also created a complete training package that any company or organisation can use to deliver mental health awareness sessions to their fleets. This includes a PowerPoint presentation, handouts, and trainer notes — all free of charge. The only ask is an optional donation to a mental health charity of your choice.
Flyers with a QR code for easy downloads are being distributed at service stations, fuel stops, truck parks, and driver welfare facilities across the UK. If you run a depot, a fleet, or a driver training centre, you can request these materials to share with your drivers.
Download It Now
You can read the full ebook right now, for free:
Read "Driving Through the Storm" here
To request the training resources, flyers, or to discuss partnership opportunities, contact the team at [email protected] or [email protected].
Why We Are Sharing This
At The HGV Networking Group, we built DriverWell because we believe that no driver should have to face their struggles alone. Mark Cowan's ebook embodies exactly the same spirit — practical help, written with empathy, delivered without barriers. It is the kind of resource that can genuinely save lives, and we want every driver in our community to know it exists.
If you are reading this and something resonates — if you have been having a rough time on the road, if the anxiety has been building, if you have not felt like yourself lately — please download the ebook. Read it in your own time. Try one of the tools. And know that reaching out is not a weakness. It is the strongest thing you can do.
If you or someone you know needs immediate support, visit our Emergency Support [blocked] page for one-tap access to Samaritans (116 123), BeAMate text service, PTSD UK, and other crisis resources.