The Australian Skin Cancer Foundation is helping take preventative health checks to where people are, with its mobile skin check clinics travelling to major events and communities across the country.
As a partner in Truck Week’s Personal Preventative Maintenance – Your Essential 5-Point Health Check campaign, the Foundation’s work is a timely reminder of the importance of looking after your “bodywork” – especially for people who spend long hours on the road, around workshops, in yards or outdoors.
Australian Skin Cancer Foundation representative Bob Martin recently shared a behind-the-scenes look at Truck 1, the Foundation’s original mobile skin check clinic, while it was on the Gold Coast.
Truck 1 first hit the road in 2023, after beginning life as a Queensland Government breast screening van. Once its original service had finished, the vehicle was purchased second-hand by the Foundation and given a new lease of life as the first of its mobile skin check clinics.
Since then, Truck 1 has travelled across the country delivering free skin checks and helping make preventative health care more accessible.
Bob said the truck had been based on the Gold Coast for almost a month, providing skin checks for clients, before heading back to the Foundation’s home base in Bowral, southwest of Sydney.
“It’s been running around the country doing free skin checks,” Bob said.
The Foundation now also has Truck 2 on the road — a larger, purpose-built mobile clinic supporting major community events. Bob said Truck 2 was in Adelaide for the Morphettville Races before heading to Brisbane for Women’s State of Origin at Suncorp Stadium and NRL Magic Round.
While these activations sit outside the official Truck Week event program, Truck Week is pleased to help promote them as part of its broader support for preventative health and the Foundation’s partnership in the PPM 5 Checks campaign.
Bob’s message was simple:
“If you’re out in the sun, make sure that you slip, slop and slap on a hat. And if you’re out on the road driving, please drive safely.”
Truck Week’s PPM campaign encourages people across the heavy vehicle, freight and logistics sector to take small but important steps to look after their health — including skin checks, blood pressure and cholesterol checks, bowel screening, prostate health conversations and mental health support.