Transportation Workforce Mental Health ROI: Reducing Downtime and Supporting Resilience

How a leading airline saved nearly $1.5M by investing in mental health

The transportation industry is critical to the economy, but the demands of the industry can significantly impact mental health for the people behind the wheel, in the sky, or on the ground. Truck drivers often face long hours of isolation and pressure to meet tight delivery schedules. Meanwhile, airline employees must manage unpredictable schedules and frequent exposure to workplace harassment.

That’s why an organization in the transportation industry with nearly 20,000 employees partnered with CuraLinc to address mental health and wellbeing proactively. Rather than treating mental health support as just another employee benefit, they viewed it as a critical investment in their workforce’s alertness, reliability, and ability to keep operations—and people—moving safely and efficiently.

Access the full case study to learn how investing in CuraLinc’s EAP protected nearly $1.5 million and created a healthier, more productive workforce.

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An ROI model that's backed by research and built for action

CuraLinc's ROI model was developed from over 166,000 real-world cases and validated in a peer-reviewed study. It shows how meaningful mental health support drives return across five key areas:

Healthcare savings from avoided outpatient mental health claims
Clinical recovery for high-risk mental health conditions and alcohol use
Restored work time by addressing absenteeism and presenteeism
Retention of employees at risk of turnover
Organizational value through crisis support, training, and management consultation

Whether you’re trying to make the case for investment, compare vendor performance, or align leadership around mental health strategy, the model gives you both the data and the rationale.

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What transportation leaders are up against

Transportation employees face mounting stress but often struggle to get the help they need. In an industry where safety, punctuality, and regulatory compliance are critical, these barriers have serious impacts—not only employee wellbeing but also performance and retention.

These issues highlight why a passive, “wait until they ask” approach to mental health simply doesn’t work. Transportation leaders need support systems that are proactive, available on and off the clock, and trusted by their teams.

Prevalent mental health challenges

27% of employees in the logistics sector said they had to take leave from work due to unmanageable stress or mental health issues, while. Meanwhile, pilots report high levels of burnout, and an estimated 8 to 12% likely meet criteria for a substance use disorder at some point in their career.

Suicide risk

Multiple studies have shown that employees in the transportation industry have a significantly elevated risk for suicide in comparison to the general population.

Barriers to care

Many employees in the industry avoid seeking support for fear of stigma, job loss, and concerns about scheduling.

A mental health and wellbeing program built for the demands of the transportation industry

Most mental health programs weren't build for the pace, demands, or unpredictable schedules of the transportation industry. Drivers, dispatchers, mechanics, and warehouse teams are often on their own for long stretches, under pressure to meet tight deadlines, and afraid of being seen as unfit if they speak up. They don’t have extra time to figure out where to go for help or how to navigate a complicated platform—and many can’t step away from a route, a delivery, or a control room even if they wanted to.

CuraLinc’s model is different. We deliver personalized, human-centered mental health care designed to meet the unique needs of transportation employees.

Access

Fast, flexible access to care—including immediate support from licensed clinicians and multiple ways to engage in therapy or coaching: in-person, virtual, text-based, or group. On average, participants connect to care in just 2.1 days.

Navigation

CuraLinc’s platform and Care Advocates work in tandem to guide every care journey as needs evolve. And because our matches are personal and precise, 97% of participants stay with their first provider.

Outcomes

In a peer-reviewed study of transportation employees, CuraLinc’s EAP helped 93% recover from depression risk, 89% resolve productivity issues, and, on average, restore 40 hours of productive work time per month.