Reducing Fleet Driver Exposure to COVID-19

COVID-19, also known as coronavirus disease 2019, has quickly become a global pandemic and has many business owners and managers scrambling to figure out how to best protect their employees.

At Derive, our offices have gone remote and we’ve stopped all non-essential work-related travel to slow the spread of the virus. But many fleet managers can’t have every employee go remote and stay at home as they depend on their drivers to keep operations running.

For drivers that are out on the road during this crisis, here are some tips to help reduce their exposure to COVID-19.

Keep your fleet drivers safe from COVID-19 with these tips:

• Stay-at-home orders: If a driver is sick or is showing any symptoms, even mild ones, order them to stay home and follow social distancing best practices
• Disinfect vehicles: Sanitize and wipe down frequently touched surfaces in the vehicle, like the door handles, gear shifter, steering wheel, armrest, window buttons, cell phone holders and chargers, and the radio. Vehicles should be cleaned before every shift and when the driver exits the vehicle for the final time.
• Fueling vehicles: Drivers should wipe down fuel pump handles and keypads when fueling up or they should wear disposable gloves. Assign each driver their own fuel card if your fleet uses them instead of passing around a shared card.
• Require frequent hand washing or use of hand sanitizer: Drivers should be washing their hands or using hand sanitizer after every stop or delivery. If possible, provide disposable gloves for drivers.
• Sign invoices for customers: Do not let drivers share pens or devices to capture customer signatures on invoices or receipts. Let the driver sign on behalf of the customer to avoid contaminated work equipment, and so the driver can keep six feet between them and the customer.
• Drivers ride solo: As social distancing is one of the best ways to slow the transmission of the virus, limit the number of people in fleet vehicles down to one if possible. If not, require passengers or other crew members to sit in the back.
• Communicate: This is a time when you should overcommunicate with your drivers and make sure they understand what’s going on with any temporary policy changes and who they should contact with questions about the situation. Provide the support and tools your drivers need during this uncertain time.

It’s an uncertain time for everyone and every industry, but we’re all in this together and with a little patience and understanding, we can make it through this.

As we continue to navigate this continually changing state, the Derive team is available to serve you. We are open and shipping orders as usual. Our Sales and Customer Success Teams are available to support your needs and answer your questions.

Your business’s success is ours and we will continue to communicate regularly as the crisis evolves.

For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, its symptoms, and educational resources, please visit the CDC’s website.