Rigs Without Cigs program helps truckers kick the habit

Professional truck drivers who smoke but want to quit have a coach in their corner.

The coach is Rigs Without Cigs, a smoking cessation and incentive program offered by the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund It is meant to engage with professional drivers and help them reduce, and ultimately quit, using tobacco products.

For help to quit smoking, drivers can register in the Rigs Without Cigs program online at the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund website.

Participants must have an active Class A commercial driver’s license and be a resident of the U.S. Friends and family members of professional drivers are encouraged to participate but they will not be eligible for the incentives listed below.

Registered drivers will receive a welcome letter with program details.

Drivers may choose from three methods for quitting smoking:

• Cold turkey method, which requires downloading or getting a hard copy of a book to guide the smoker wanting to quit.
• Nicotine replacement therapy.
• Tapering-off method, which makes use of a free app, Smoke Revoke for iPhone or Smokefree/Quit Smoking Slowly for Android.

The Rigs Without Cigs program offers several incentives to quit smoking.

For one month of being tobacco-free, drivers in the program get a tumbler and reimbursement of up to $50 for nicotine patches, lozenges or book.

For three months off tobacco, drivers can get a RoadPro 12-volt cooler.

For six months of living without tobacco, drivers can choose from a RoadKing 950 Bluetooth headset or a RoadKing RK CB Classic CB radio.

For living one year tobacco-free, drivers can choose to get two of four gifts (a RoadPro SnackMaster cooler/warmer; RoadKing 950 Bluetooth headset; a Wilson T5000 trucker series mobile CB antenna; or a RoadKing RK CB Classic CB radio) or a choice of one of two other incentives (RoadKing handsfree CB RKCBBT or a PowerDrive 1500-watt power inverter).

Video to help drivers get started

Julie Dillon, the Our Rigs Without Cigs coordinator at the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund, recorded a video discussing the book “Easy Way to Quit Smoking” by Alan Carr. The book is available in print and as an audiobook. She explains how to download it.

“The book will help you change your mindset where you’re not just using all your willpower and your strength to quit,” she said in the video.

She said she used this process to quit herself.

In addition to its smoking cessation program, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund sponsors the Driving Down Diabetes program.

Driving Down Diabetes is a free yearlong program offering weekly, biweekly and monthly consultations to help professional truck drivers deal with this health threat. LL