This article should only be used as a guide. Please refer to the latest information from the government and NHS for more information.
Kelly Friel works for the tool and personal protective equipment supplier Zoro. Here, she shares her top tips that will help delivery fleets to keep up with the increased demand during the coronavirus crisis.
Due to the UK lockdown caused by the spread of the coronavirus, people are only able to leave their homes for exercise and essentials, which means they are relying more and more on online retailers. As a result, delivery fleets are under a huge amount of pressure, as they deal with an increase in orders while trying to follow all of the necessary guidelines to stay safe.
As a delivery fleet manager, it’s your job to protect your workers and ensure they can keep up with the demand, but this can be easier said than done. Here, I’m going to provide you with my top tips, which will help you keep your team healthy and performing at their best.
Continue maintaining your vehicles
With so much going on — and most garages closed — it’s easy to forget that your vehicles still need to be maintained. But they’re going to be under more strain than ever, so you need to do what you can to keep them in good shape. While you might not like the idea of voluntarily taking a van or lorry off the road when you’re already struggling to keep up with demand, a breakdown is likely to put your vehicles out of action for longer. So, it’s important that you keep up with your regular checks and have any minor problems seen to as soon as possible to prevent any bigger issues from developing.
If you outsource your vehicle maintenance, make sure you keep in frequent contact with the company you’re partnered with. This will ensure you’re always in the loop, and will be alerted if they have to close down for the time being. If your regular mechanics aren’t working, look for a different company that is still operating, or consider hiring some mechanics of your own — even if it’s only temporarily. A lot of skilled people have lost their jobs due to the current pandemic, so you shouldn’t struggle to find people who are looking for work to tide them over.
Make sure your staff are following all of the relevant guidelines
Of course, you have a duty of care to your employees, which means you should always take reasonable steps to keep them safe. And, for as long as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, you need to ensure all of your workers are following the government’s guidelines on deliveries — especially where social distancing is concerned. For example, your drivers shouldn’t be handing deliveries directly to their customers — packages should be left outside, and your drivers should move at least 2m away from the door.
They should then oversee the recipient taking their package in. No delivery should be left unattended. It’s also a good idea to let customers know when their deliveries are likely to arrive so they can arrange their exercise and essential trips around this. Your drivers should also be given a contact number if possible, so they can get in touch with a customer if they don’t answer the door.
Thoroughly disinfect any communal delivery vehicles after each shift
If your drivers tend to share delivery vehicles, it’s vital that their interiors are disinfected after every shift. Pay special attention to the most frequently touched surfaces, such as door handles, steering wheels, the dashboard, and seatbelt buckles. I would also recommend providing antibacterial wipes that your staff can use when they get into a new vehicle, and throughout their shifts. This will help to reduce the risk of them picking up or spreading the virus, and should make then feel much safer, too.
But do let your staff know they can always come to you with any problems or concerns, as you’ll never want them to feel unsafe. It’s incredibly important that you do everything you can to keep your delivery drivers safe during this pandemic, and these tips should help. Keep your vehicles in good shape, ensure your staff are following all of the relevant guidelines, and make sure your vehicles are frequently disinfected.
This will help to keep everyone safe, and will also go a long way towards ensuring you can keep up with the increase in demand.
