With or without a pandemic, you’ve got a job to do and money to earn. And as a truck driver, you’re needed more now during COVID-19 than at any other time. You don’t have the luxury of staying home, and there’s a high chance your route will take you straight into a COVID-19 hotspot.
Here’s what you need to do to keep yourself safe while on the road.
Practice Social Distancing
Stay six feet away from people as much as you can. This includes keeping away from dock workers, store employees, and other members of the general public. Be quick when you need to stop for fuel. Avoid high traffic areas at rest stops and while loading or unloading. Call to notify the dock of your arrival and then sit in your cab whenever possible.
Wear a Mask
Despite your best efforts at social distancing, you’ll still need to interact with people on occasion. When you are, wear a mask. Yes, even when they’re six feet away from you. If you wear reusable cloth masks, make sure you have spares. You should wear a clean mask each day, so have enough for however many days you’re on the road and then add a few extras. If you use disposable surgical masks, don’t re-use the same mask over and over again. Wear it once and then throw it away.
Bring Plenty of Supplies
For overnight or long hauls, bring as many supplies with you as possible including food, batteries, and other things you might normally get at a truck stop or in town when you arrive. You want to stay out of a grocery store or convenience store as much as possible to avoid exposing yourself to COVID-19. You might not be able to eliminate all trips for food or supplies but reducing those trips reduces your risk.
Use Your Phone
This tip works in two ways:
- Call when you arrive at the dock or need to load or unload. Stay in your cab to have the conversation.
- Go paperless and use electronic transmission as much as possible. The good news is your ELD already does this. But use text, email, and other options to send other paperwork, orders, and more.
The more you limit close contact with other people, the less chance you have of being exposed to COVID-19.
Wash Your Hands
Just like in the early days of the pandemic, you need to keep washing your hands as frequently as possible. When that’s not available, use hand sanitizer. Wash after you’ve been in public spaces or touched anything you haven’t previously disinfected. Wash before and after you touch your mask, you prepare and eat food, and definitely after you use the bathroom, sneeze, or cough.
Disinfect Your Space Regularly
Make it a daily habit to wipe down and disinfect your cab and sleeper berth while you’re working. You also want to disinfect any areas that other people have access to — the trailer handles and other equipment on your truck or that you’re hauling. If someone needs access to your cab or sleeper berth for repairs or anything else, ask them to disinfect the area before you get back in.
Those who say we can’t be “afraid” of COVID-19 aren’t wrong, but that doesn’t mean you have to invite the virus right in, either. The last thing you need is to get sick and lose work or worse, bring COVID-19 home to your family. You’ve got a job to do and you can do it safely if you follow proper precautions.
If you need an ELD you can rely without breaking the bank, choose Clutch ELD. Sign up today.