This study explores the state of transmission and prevention knowledge as well as attitudes
on HIV and AIDS, among a group of specialist trained long distance truck drivers, known as
bulk vehicle operators, at a company transporting dangerous goods in Gaborone, Botswana.
It examines the prevalence of both condom use, condom use consistency, as well as the
extent of sexual partner concurrency within this group, taking their demographic and socioeconomic
characteristics into consideration. This study found low barriers to condom use,
high levels of reported current condom use, but lower consistency of condoms particularly
with wives and regular partners and widespread practice of multiple sexual partners among
this group. Over half of bulk vehicle operators perceived themselves as being exposed to
sexual temptation outside their usual unions and at risk of HIV infection because of the
nature of their occupation. Conducted in the context of well-documented occupational
vulnerabilities of distance truck drivers and organizational vulnerabilities of road freight
companies to HIV and AIDS, the research considered the extent to which participants found
the workplace non-discriminatory and accommodative to those living with HIV and AIDS.
The study concludes by making recommendations on the ways company X‟s HIV/AIDS
workplace programmes may be strengthened – which recommendations are based on the
opinions and practices of the bulk vehicle employees, company X‟s most critical occupation