Driving a van often means long hours in the same seat, sometimes most of the working day. Over time that can leave your back, neck and shoulders feeling the strain, and how your seat is set up makes a real difference to how you feel by the end of a shift. Taking a couple of minutes to adjust things before you set off is one of the simplest ways to ease that load.

Work through the seat step by step

It helps to set the seat up in order, from the ground up, so each adjustment builds on the last. There is no single position that suits everyone, so treat these as a starting point and fine-tune to what feels comfortable for you.

Start with height. Raise the seat so your thighs rest roughly level with the floor, and if your seat allows, so your hips sit a little higher than your knees. This gives you a clear view of the road without having to lift your chin or crane forward.

Next, check the pedals. You want to be able to press them all the way down while keeping a comfortable bend in your knee, rather than stretching your leg out straight.

Set the seat angle and support your back

For the backrest, bring the seat fairly upright, then ease it back until you have roughly a 110 degree angle between your back and thighs. This tends to feel supportive without being either rigid or reclined so far that you slump.

Then adjust the lumbar support so you can feel it gently filling the hollow of your lower back, without pushing you forward or arching your back more than feels natural. If your van has no lumbar setting, a small rolled towel behind your lower back does a similar job.

Set the head restraint, wheel and mirrors

Adjust the head restraint so the centre of it sits level with the middle of your head, close to it without needing to press against it.

For the steering wheel, once you are sitting comfortably, reach one arm out in front of you and set things so the centre of the wheel sits roughly in line with the crease of your wrist. That usually leaves a relaxed bend in your elbows when your hands are on the wheel.

Finally, set your mirrors while sitting tall. This is a useful trick, because if you later find yourself craning to see them, it is a gentle sign you have started to slump and could reset your position.

Look after yourself beyond the seat

Even a well set up seat becomes uncomfortable if you stay completely still for hours, so breaking up long stretches with short movement helps far more than holding one position all day.

Getting in and out matters too. When climbing down from the cab, you could turn to face the doorway and step down rather than twisting as you drop, and take care on wet or uneven ground. If your day also involves loading and unloading, keeping loads close to your body and letting your hips and knees take the weight protects your back between drives as well as during them.

A stretch to reset during your day

A gentle stretch at a rest or fuel stop helps release the stiffness that builds from sitting. Standing tall, you could roll your shoulders slowly backwards a few times, then rest your hands on your lower back and ease into a small backward lean, only as far as feels comfortable.

If you would like to follow a guided version, VIDA has a short stretch video you can do at your own pace whenever you take a break.

A quick recap

• Set the seat height so your thighs are level and your view is clear.
• Check you can press the pedals fully with a bend in your knee.
• Ease the backrest to around a 110 degree angle and adjust the lumbar support into the hollow of your back.
• Set the head restraint level with the middle of your head.
• Position the wheel so its centre lines up with the crease of your wrist.
• Set your mirrors sitting tall, and reset your position if you start craning to see them.
• Break up long drives, take care getting in and out, and stretch at your stops.

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