I tried 6 cushions in my truck.Only 1 got me through an 11-hour day.
Let me save you the money and the sore tailbone.
I'm 52. I've been driving OTR for 24 years. Flatbed for the first 10, reefer since.
For most of that I never thought about the seat. Then somewhere around year 20 my tailbone started telling me about every pothole in Ohio. By hour 6 I'd be shifting side to side. By hour 9 my left leg would go numb and I'd pull into a rest area just to stand up.
So I did what every driver does. I bought cushions.
A $35 foam one off the counter at a truck stop. A $70 memory foam "orthopedic" one. A $50 gel-infused one. A $120 beaded seat cover my wife swore by. A folded-up jacket, for about a year. I even priced out a $1,100 replacement seat.
5 failures. 1 winner. Here's what finally worked, and why nothing else did.
1. It didn't go flat by week 2
Every foam cushion I bought felt great the first day. By the second week I could push my palm right through it and feel the seat underneath.
The MediGel is different. It's a grid of blue gel columns, and when I push down they spring straight back. 8 months and about 70,000 miles in, it's the same shape as the day it showed up.
2. I finally understood why my tailbone hurt
At home you shift around all day without thinking. Behind the wheel, you can't.
Feet on the pedals, hands on the wheel, eyes on the road. Your body gets locked into 1 position for hours, so it never gets to do the small shifts that take the pressure off.
That leaves 60 to 70% of your weight on 2 small bones and your tailbone, an area about the size of a credit card. Then add 11 hours of road vibration on top, and it's no wonder it hurts.
3. My tailbone stopped taking every bump
My tailbone was the worst of it. It sits lower than everything around it, so it takes every expansion joint and pothole first.
MediGel has a cutout right under it. There's nothing there for the bone to press against. My first day on it, I drove 4 hours before I even thought about my back.
The donut cushion I tried years ago was the opposite. It just moved the pressure onto the ring around the hole.
4. It stays put and it's built to take a beating
Truck stop cushions slide around every time you climb in and out. MediGel has a non-slip base, so it stays where I put it.
It's rated for up to 300 lb and fits a standard truck seat. On my reset I bring it inside for the recliner.
I ended up buying a 2nd one so I don't have to haul it back and forth.
(Personal experience: just get 2.)
It adds about 2" of height, so readjust your seat and mirrors before you roll.
Up to 66% off + free gifts
I was skeptical too, after 5 cushions that didn't last. But with free shipping and 90 days to try it, there wasn't much to lose.
Check availability →5. Why it works when foam doesn't
Foam works by squashing down. It squashes most where you press hardest, which is your tailbone and sit bones. So it fails right where you need it.
MediGel's gel columns don't squash. They buckle sideways and pass the weight out across the whole seat. No single spot carries all of you.
The open honeycomb lets air through too. In a hot cab in July, that's the difference between a dry back and a sweaty one by noon.
6. Other drivers keep asking about it
The first time a guy at the fuel island saw the blue cushion through my door, he asked if it was a kids' toy.
2 weeks later he messaged me asking where I got it.
Now I've lost count. Half my company's drivers in my terminal have one. When somebody complains about their back on the CB, somebody else usually tells them about it before I can.
7. 90 days to try it
You've probably got a cushion or 2 rattling around your sleeper that didn't work. I had 4.
MediGel gives you 90 days to try it on your own seat, on your own routes. If it doesn't help, send it back for a refund. It also comes with a 1-year warranty.
The only real risk is another few months of planning your day around rest stops.
Make the seat you work in work for you.
MediGel is only sold on the Westlyn website. It's not on Amazon or eBay, so watch out for copycats. Right now they're running up to 66% off while stock lasts.
- 1Order your MediGel while the discount's live.
- 2Have it shipped home or to your terminal. Put it on your seat before your next run.
- 3Drive a full shift without counting the miles to the next rest area.
Tip: If you know another driver whose back is killing them, send this to them. They probably think it just comes with the job.
Up to 66% off + free gifts
I was skeptical too, after 5 cushions that didn't last. But with free shipping and 90 days to try it, there wasn't much to lose.
Check availability →