Schneider National Inc. truck driver Charlie Resch shows a machine he keeps in the cab of his truck to help him deal with sleep apnea, in Green Bay, Wis. Schneider diagnosed 10,000 of its 15,000 drivers with sleep apnea, a disorder that interferes with breathing during sleep and can leave the sufferer groggy and exhausted. The company provided them with machines to help them sleep.

Green Bay, Wis. ? Truck drivers – the people who deliver our food, cars and clothing – have one of the most dangerous jobs in America – accounting for nearly 15 percent of U.S. work-related deaths. And that’s only counting the accidents.

They also are more at risk than average Americans for a number of health problems. Obesity is rampant. Many don’t bother to wear seatbelts because their stomachs get in the way. About one in four have sleep apnea. Half of them smoke.

The latest research in an upcoming report drives home those points and may help influence government regulations for truck drivers’ health, which are under review. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is considering tightening its rules for conditions including diabetes and high blood pressure. And many companies are stepping up their own efforts at improving health.

“It takes a while to undo years and years and years of unhealthy behavior,” said Christie Cullinan of the American Trucking Associations, which represents about 2,000 companies and suppliers. “But I think companies are having to look at this because of the skyrocketing health care costs and related workers compensation costs.”

Drivers are tested every two years to maintain their licenses, which are issued by states. Waivers can be granted, but generally commercial drivers can’t be licensed if they have severe high blood pressure or severe heart conditions. Other aspects of drivers’ health, like weight and smoking, aren’t regulated.

“They can’t say, ‘You can’t be obese’ and they can’t force you to stop smoking,”‘ said Gerald P. Krueger, a psychologist who compiled the latest research by the Transportation Research Board. “The government shouldn’t regulate that. But we’ve been trying to educate people to the linkage between being a healthy person and a safe driver.”

Krueger said trucking companies need to do more to foster better health among their employees, whether it’s to reduce health care costs or hang onto employees in an industry where turnover is high and shortages growing.

It’s not clear how many companies are making efforts. The trucking associations group says it is planning a survey. The group estimates there are 1.3 million long-haul drivers nationwide.

Sammy Belvin, a driver for Oklahoma-based Melton Truck Lines, has been getting advice from a wellness coordinator with the company. He carries weights in his truck, and for meals, he eats cereal and cooks chicken breasts on an electric grill in his cab.

A driver for 23 years, Belvin says these days he’s not the only one jogging around in the mornings before he drives off for the day.

Lisa Miles, an independent driver based in Fort Wayne, Ind., lifts weights in the cabin of her semi, too, while her partner driver takes the wheel. She gave up smoking three years ago and now is trying to lose 30 pounds.

“It’s real easy to let your personal health be the last of your priorities,” she said.

As many as half of drivers are regular smokers, compared with about one-fifth of all Americans. Many truckers are obese, and only about one in 10 get regular aerobic exercise. More details will be available in a soon-to-be-published study for the Transportation Research Board, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences. All those bad habits can fuel high blood pressure and chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Sleep apnea, which is linked to obesity, is rampant, too. An industry study a few years ago found 28 percent of drivers had it; that compares with about 4 percent in the general population who have the disorder.

Government numbers say the trucking industry has the most fatalities of all occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says truck drivers account for nearly 15 percent of all worker deaths in the most recent data available, from 2005. (The death rate per 100,000 is higher for other occupations.) Of those trucker deaths, 80 percent involved traffic accidents, the bureau said.

Truck drivers also report more injuries, such as sprains, than workers in any other category, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Many of them unload the goods they carry, risking back injuries.

The medical review board of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will discuss updating medical guidelines at a meeting this month, but any changes are at least a year away, officials said.