There are 600,000 people with professional driving licences in Poland. A significant part of this group are truck drivers who, among other duties, deliver goods for warehousing. As the warehousing market develops, attitudes towards truck drivers are changing and there is a growing awareness of the importance of this professional group for the smooth functioning of the supply chain. Drivers themselves are an increasingly important stakeholder for developers of warehousing and logistics facilities. With their health and safety in mind, new initiatives are being developed to improve their working conditions.
MDC2, together with the Truckers Life Foundation, has seized the opportunity to improve the well-being of drivers at its projects. At MDC2 Park Łódź South, an infrastructure has been created to enable professional drivers to engage in physical activity, which helps to prevent a number of health problems. In cooperation with the Foundation, a Rest & Move zone for truck drivers will be created at MDC2 Park Łódź South. It will include a sports zone with a gym and a multi-sport field as well as a rest area including an outdoor barbecue spot.
The developer of the Głuchów warehouse facility is MDC2 and the owner and investor is Fortress Real Estate Investments Limited (Fortress), a company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) with a portfolio of commercial properties.
“The well-being of truck drivers is an important part of Fortress and MDC2’s ongoing ESG policy. All development activities of both companies are undertaken on the basis of this strategy. The idea behind the Rest & Move project is to promote healthy lifestyles and improve the working conditions of both drivers and all those who use our warehouse facilities. We care about the well-being of the drivers, we believe that a healthy driver is a safe driver,” says Adrian Winiarek, Development Director, MDC2.
The Rest & Move zone will also include rest areas surrounded by flower meadows to ensure biodiversity and improved well-being. The developer’s intention is to create a public-friendly place where people can enjoy themselves and improve their fitness. The Truckers Life Foundation is a non-profit organisation in the road transport sector. It works for the health and safety of professional drivers. It helps them to improve their lifestyles, including building outdoor gyms.
“Any activity aimed at improving the well-being of drivers deserves recognition. We are delighted that awareness of its importance is growing in the warehousing industry. Together with MDC2, we are already launching the second such gym. MDC2’s patronage is very important to us as we are creating a new perspective for this professional group. Drivers will not be able to improve their working conditions on their own, but a sustainable and responsible approach from a warehouse developer like MDC2 and us – a foundation that cares about their fate – can help. Together we can do much more,” says Dagmara Trusewicz, President of the Truckers Life Foundation.
