Coronavirus Safety Tips for Fleet Drivers
31 Mar 2020Companies in the U.S. are pushing for, or required to mandate, staff members to stay home while coronavirus cases continue climbing. Unfortunately, along with healthcare providers, service workers and other individuals with at-risk jobs, a common job title in the U.S. where employees can’t work from their home is fleet drivers.
As public health officials and medical professionals work diligently to slow down the spread of this virus, truck drivers have to work 24/7 to deliver food, critical medical supplies and other essentials to grocery stores and hospitals nationwide. In fact, around 1.8 million individuals in the U.S. are truck drivers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
And, the job calls for truck drivers to travel all over the country, and come in contact with shipped goods from overseas, which can not only impact them, but everyone they come into contact with. So, what can truck drivers do to stay protected from the coronavirus?
In an unprecedented response to the national emergency declaration made by President Trump, the U.S. Department of Transportation is relaxing the hours-of-service regulations for drivers transporting emergency supplies to relieve pressure on hospitals and retailers.
The hours-of-service rules have been in place for 82 years. During that time, they have never been suspended on the federal level, though there have been instances, in response to hurricanes and other natural disasters, for instance, when states have temporarily suspended those regulations.
Among specific items falling under the relief requirements are:
- Medical equipment and supplies for diagnosing and treating COVID-19.
- Supplies and equipment designed to improve community safety, such as hand sanitizer, faces masks, gloves, soaps, and disinfectants.
- Food supplies for restocking depleted store shelves.
- Equipment and supplies necessary to manage temporary housing and quarantine facilities for COVID-19.
- Medical services personnel and equipment.
Operating a fleet isn’t cheap. With the quest for drivers becoming even more competitive, it is growing costlier still. There are things you can do, though, that will help you save money while operating your fleet and even growing it. These are some of the top things you’ll want to do to keep your costs down while meeting the needs of your customers and keeping quality drivers on staff.
End Idling
It’s a huge expense for your fleet in wasted fuel, does nothing good for the planet, causes unnecessary engine ware, and substantially eats into your profits. According to the Department of Energy, idling costs fleets up to $20 per day, per truck when diesel runs $2.50 per gallon (when was the last time you’ve seen that price for diesel?). The more trucks you have in your fleet, the more idling can cost you. Consider investing in battery-powered or electrically wired APUs (auxiliary power units) for long-haul drivers to maintain climate control and some electrical devices.
Route for Fuel Efficiency
Fuel efficient routing can cut hours and miles off your trips for long haul truckers. Routing more efficiently for in-town drivers can help you schedule fewer drivers to cover the same routes. It can save you a tremendous amount of money and fuel if your drivers follow their prescribed routes. Which means you must also have a method in place, like GPS tracking to help plan those efficient routes and to ensure your drivers are sticking to them.
