Welcome to the summary page of the ergonomics course for professional drivers. This course applies to truck and bus drivers, to taxi drivers and even to train, tram and metro drivers.
In the first video, discover how to adjust the driver seat of a car. In the second one, Olivier demonstrates how to adjust a bus or lorry seat.
Driving for long periods of time puts a strain on the back, and is a source of muscle and joint pain (RSI). It is therefore essential to adjust your seat and steering wheel ergonomically, so that your body remains as relaxed as possible. To make sure you don’t miss anything, follow the steps below in order:
1. seat height: in a truck, your knees should form a 90° angle when the heels are below the knees. Adjust the hydraulic damping to your weight: the seat should absorb vibrations without varying too much in height.
In the car, adjust the seat to the height of the ceiling and the door frame. If you feel yourself slipping in the seat while driving, lower the seat gradually until you find your balance point.
2. seat position: pull the seat backwards and press both your feet hard on the break. Bring your seat forward until you start feeling painful pressure in your hip joint. Then, just move back a little to relieve the pressure.
If the pedal is inverted, the heel rests at the base of the pedal.
3. seat angle: start with a downward seat pan and bring it towards the horizontal until the thigh is supported, without being pushed upwards or backwards.
If you can adjust the seat depth, make sure that there is about 5 cm between the bend of the knee and the front of the seat when you are against the backrest.
4. backrest angle: Tilt the backrest backwards and slouch. With one hand, feel the tips of the vertebrae in your lower back. Roll forward on your pelvis until they just disappear: you are now sitting on the sitting bones. Without moving the pelvis or the torso, bring the backrest forward so that it supports you behind the belt: when you relax the muscles, the pelvis should remain in its place. The shoulder blades should not press against the backrest.
Then, adjust the lumbar support in height so that it is at the height of your belt, and in depth so that you feel supported without hollowing your back.
Finally, adjust the height and depth of the steering wheel so that it falls under your hands (9.15 in the bus and truck, 10.10 in the car), with your elbows at your side and bent at about 90°.
An essential evening stretch for your professional drivers is the iliopsoas, which causes pain in the back along the spine, as well as on the front of the thigh. The second video shows the upper body reset, which is a universal muscle relaxation exercise that you (and everyone else) should do many times a day!
Welcome to the summary page of the ergonomics course for professional drivers. This course applies to truck and bus drivers, to taxi drivers and even to train, tram and metro drivers. How to adjust the driver seat In the first video, discover how to adjust the driver seat of a car. In the second…
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