Diet and Nutrition for Drivers and Operators
Understand optimal nutrition choices when you are on the road or operating machinery
Long shifts, early starts and fast food make it hard to eat well at work. Poor food and too little water can leave drivers and operators tired and slow to react. This diet and nutrition course shows drivers and machine operators how to eat better at work. That includes on the road and on building sites.
Registered dietitian Angela Berrill of ABC Nutrition demystifies diet for people who are professional drivers and machine operators, plus hear from 10 experienced drivers about their challenges on the road and how they overcame them.
After the course, trainees will understand:
- how food and drink affect alertness, fatigue and performance
- which foods and drinks suit people who drive or operate heavy machinery
- how to save money by making better meal choices
- the warning signs that mean it's time to see a health professional
$29 +GST per person ($33.35)
4 x $7.25
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What is the Diet and Nutrition for Drivers and Operators course?
The Diet and Nutrition for Drivers and Operators course is a short online course about eating well at work. It is for truck drivers, machine operators and others who work long shifts away from a kitchen. A registered dietitian explains what to eat and drink to stay alert. Ten experienced drivers share what worked for them. Trainees get a certificate of achievement when they finish.
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Why should drivers and operators learn about diet and nutrition?
Diet and nutrition training helps drivers and operators stay alert at work. Poor food choices and too little water can add to fatigue. Fatigue slows reaction times and leads to mistakes. That is a serious risk when you drive a truck or operate heavy machinery. WorkSafe New Zealand lists a balanced diet and drinking enough water as practical ways to reduce fatigue.
Better food choices can also save money. Buying food on the road every day costs a lot, and the course shows cheaper, healthier options. For more on managing tiredness at work, see the Fatigue Management for Drivers, Operators and Managers course.
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Who should do the diet and nutrition course for drivers and operators?
The diet and nutrition course is for anyone whose work keeps them away from regular meals:
- truck drivers
- car drivers who do long journeys for work
- tradies and others who struggle to find good food on the road or on building sites
- heavy machine operators (excavators, loaders, forklifts and similar)
- managers of people in these roles
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What will drivers learn in the diet and nutrition course?
The Diet and Nutrition for Drivers and Operators course has 11 short video modules about food at work. Topics include:
- what food does in your body, and what a healthy diet looks like
- building healthy habits and managing cravings
- hydration, and how dehydration affects judgement and vehicle control
- reading food labels
- eating well on a budget
- how food and drink affect fatigue
- food and drink to cut back on
- food allergies and digestive problems
- common food myths
- preparing food safely on the road
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Is the diet and nutrition course medical advice?
No. The Diet and Nutrition for Drivers and Operators course gives practical advice on eating well at work. It isn't medical advice and doesn't replace a doctor or dietitian. The course explains the warning signs that mean a trainee should see a health professional. Anyone with a health condition or worries about their diet should talk to their doctor.
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Is diet and nutrition training required by law in New Zealand?
Businesses must manage risks to their workers' health and safety, including fatigue (Health and Safety at Work Act 2015). WorkSafe New Zealand's fatigue guidance names a balanced diet and drinking enough water as ways to reduce fatigue. The diet and nutrition course is a simple way to give workers that knowledge. No New Zealand law specifically requires diet and nutrition training for drivers or operators, but it's one way of meeting the Duty of Care.
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Does the diet and nutrition course award unit standards?
No. The Diet and Nutrition for Drivers and Operators course doesn't award unit standards or NZQA credits. Trainees get a certificate of achievement.
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What are the advantages of doing the diet and nutrition course online?
The online diet and nutrition course lets drivers and operators learn without time off the road. Advantages include:
- short modules of 3 to 6 minutes, done one at a time
- works on a phone, tablet or computer
- trainees can watch the videos again as often as they need
- real drivers explain what worked for them
- video subtitles in 25 languages and questions in 76 languages
- managers can track progress and download reports
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Can a company use the diet and nutrition course to train multiple drivers and operators?
Yes. A company can use the diet and nutrition course to train any number of drivers and operators. Buy one course licence per trainee and assign it to them. You can then track their progress and download reports. You can add other managers at no extra cost.
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What do you get with the diet and nutrition course?
The Diet and Nutrition for Drivers and Operators course includes 11 short video modules, interviews with 10 experienced drivers and downloadable meal examples. Trainees get a certificate of achievement when they finish the course. Managers can track trainees and download reports. Access lasts 6 months.
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Who made the diet and nutrition course for drivers and operators?
Registered dietitian Angela Berrill of ABC Nutrition presents the diet and nutrition course for drivers and operators. ABC Nutrition is a nationwide team of registered dietitians and nutritionists. TR Group and ABC Nutrition made the course together. TR Group leases and rents heavy vehicles, and it used its transport industry contacts to find 10 experienced drivers for the course.
To talk to ABC Nutrition directly, visit abcnutrition.co.nz.
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How do I access and use the diet and nutrition course?
- You will need one course licence per person taking the course. You can't use one licence for multiple trainees.
- You will need a computer, smartphone or tablet with internet access to take the training.
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Can I take the diet and nutrition course in another language?
- Video subtitles: available in 25 languages. Choose the language in the video.
- Questions: can be viewed in 76 languages. Check the language option at the top of the page (note that written answers must be in English).
- Question audio: every question has an audio recording in English.
- Documents: English.
- Some captions are AI-generated and, as such, may have occasional errors.
