Dr. John McElligott, a physician, Navy veteran and co-founder of the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund who dedicated more than three decades to improving the health and financial stability of America’s truck drivers, has died at the age of 80.
Over the course of his career, McElligott directly helped thousands of drivers and reached more than 5,000 others through the relief fund, which has provided more than $5 million in financial assistance to drivers forced off the road due to illness or injury.
McElligott was named to the Wall of Fame at the Mid-America Trucking Show for his contributions to the industry in 2023, where he focused on occupational health for professional drivers.
“Dr. John worked tirelessly for more than 30 years to support truck drivers. His dedication and passion for the industry are immeasurable. His sacrifices for others went above and beyond,” his wife, Lisa McElligott, said.
A voice for trucker health
McElligott was a regular guest on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking channel, where he shared practical medical insight and wellness advice tailored specifically to drivers.
Through radio appearances, clinic work and industry events, he became a recognizable advocate for trucker wellness nationwide.
For more than 30 years, he operated two occupational health clinics with a primary focus on truck drivers — a population he believed was underserved and too often overlooked.
In 2023, he received the East Tennessee Healthcare Hero Lifetime Achievement Award for his service.
From Navy Corpsman to physician
Born Sept. 17, 1945, in Big Spring, Texas, McElligott moved as a child to Terminal, Texas, and graduated from Midland High School in 1963.
He joined the U.S. Navy in 1964 and served as a Navy Corpsman attached to the Marines during the Vietnam War.
After his service, he enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program at Duke University, graduating at the top of his class.
McElligott later earned a Master of Public Health in Occupational Health and Safety from the University of Tennessee, attended medical school and completed his residency at Yale Griffin Hospital, finishing at the top of his class at age 40.
He became a board-certified internal medicine physician and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.
Earlier in his career, he served as assistant medical director at UT Medical Center Southwestern Medical School at Parkland Hospital and advocated nationally for the advancement of physician assistants.
Investing in the next generation
Beyond medicine, McElligott sought to open doors for others. In 2020, he established the Water in Midland Career Fund through the Odessa College Foundation to assist students pursuing vocational and technical trades, with preference given to military veterans
The fund provides tuition and equipment support for seven students annually.
He also launched a blog in 2019 celebrating the accomplishments of Midland, Texas, graduates from 1955–1965.
“From a struggling student to a decorated physician, from Navy Corpsman to national trucking health advocate, his story is one of perseverance and purpose,” according to a news release from the St. Christopher’s Trucker Relief Fund.
“His impact will continue to be felt in the lives of the thousands of drivers he helped, the students he supported, and the communities he strengthened.”
The post Dr. John McElligott, trucking industry health advocate, dies at 80 appeared first on FreightWaves.
