Van drivers have fewer conversations in a week than most people do in a day

Mercedes-Benz Vans has launched a football tournament for van drivers to tackle loneliness at the wheel. Football pundit Chris ‘Kammy’ Kamara is leading the campaign urging teams drivers to sign up as new research reveals the average van driver spends 20 hours a week on their own - having fewer conversations during that time than the average person has in a day.

Vantasy Football took place at England’s football training ground St George’s Park. A report from Mercedes-Benz Vans shows six out of 10 UK van drivers say they have experienced depression or anxiety amid increased pressures.

The average van driver now spends 25 hours a week on their own. Van drivers have fewer conversations in a week than most people do in a day, with a third (35%) saying they only have three or fewer conversations a day at work.

Kammy, 66, who faced his own battle with isolation and loneliness after being diagnosed with apraxia, a condition that causes difficulty with speech and communication, said: “Spending time on your own, not talking to people, these things have a real impact on mental health. I know what isolation does to you.

“Sport is such a major part of my life and my recovery. The camaraderie of sport – being part of a team – is such a great way to overcome loneliness.”

Under the Bonnet reveals over half of UK van drivers spend 50 hours a week on the road, compared with the national average of 36.4 hours for a working week. “As a driver, the amount of time you spend on your own can sometimes make you feel like you’re living in your own head with no one else,” said Paul Murphy, a van driver at Alliance Healthcare UK. “Without talking to people, one small problem can fester in your mind over the day. And then before you know it, it’s snowballed into a worry that wouldn’t otherwise pose you any problems."

Robert Veit, MD of Mercedes-Benz Vans in the UK, said: “The amount of van drivers on the road is increasing, and our Under the Bonnet report found that they are spending more time alone in their van. We’ve launched Vantasy Football - a football tournament exclusively for van drivers - to help improve the mental wellbeing of van drivers alone on the road by connecting them with like-minded colleagues off the road, through team sport.”.

Van drivers can sign up to take part in the Vantasy Football tournament at mbvans.co.uk/vantasyfootball