As a long-haul truck driver, you spend many hours alone in the cab of your truck. However, there are times when you will be at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19. For long-haul truck drivers, potential sources of exposure include having close contact with truck stop attendants, store workers, dockworkers, other truck drivers, or others with COVID-19, and touching your nose, mouth, or eyes after contacting surfaces touched or handled by a person with COVID-19.
What to do:
Notify your supervisor and stay home if having symptoms, the most common of which are dry cough and fever.
Make a plan with your employer and your family as to what to do if you become sick while you’re on the road. Include where to stop, where and how to seek medical advice and treatment, and plans for freight delivery.
Follow CDC-recommended steps if you are sick. You should not return to work until the criteria to discontinue home isolation are met.
Notify your supervisor if you are well but have a sick family member at home with COVID-19.
Limit close contact with others by maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet when possible.
Limit time spent outside of the truck cab during fueling, loading and unloading, and at rest and truck stops.
Use paperless, electronic invoicing for fueling, deliveries, and other tasks, when available.
Contact facilities in advance to make an appointment for the unloading of cargo. Be aware that some facilities may not grant access to restrooms, and plan as best you can.
Use radio/phone to talk with dock managers or other drivers, if possible.
Avoid shaking hands.
Keep your truck well ventilated.
Wear cloth face coverings and clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as inside the truck cab.
Do not share personal protective equipment (PPE) (such as vests, safety glasses, hard hats), tools, phones, radios, or other personal items.
Use pre-qualified truck stops or hotels identified by your employer as having appropriate COVID-19 protections.
When it comes to the trucking industry, we go the extra mile to ensure success
Freight Girlz offers professional trucking dispatch services for owner-operators and fleets. We understand truck industry freight chainalytics and we’ll work with you to streamline your operation — ensuring products and goods are picked up and delivered in a timely manner. They receive calls for truck services and contact their fleet of truck drivers to arrange the pickups and deliveries. Find out more by giving us a call today.
