Nowadays, consumers worldwide rely on delivery drivers to receive the products they purchase via eCommerce platforms. A Bureau of Labor Statistics report indicates that close to 1.5 million drivers are hitting the road in the United States to make deliveries. Moreover, the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety estimates that delivery truck crashes cost businesses more than $72.2 billion. Therefore, as a delivery business owner, you must adopt certain safety tips to ensure your company’s delivery drivers stay safe. In this post, you’ll come across six key safety tips you can embrace to help your business’ delivery drivers stay safe and drive safely. They include:
1. Maintain Your Company’s Delivery Vehicle
Mechanical problems with delivery trucks account for the greatest number of crashes in the U.S. Therefore, to prevent some of these problems, you must ensure your delivery vehicle undergoes regular maintenance to keep it functioning properly.
Studies have demonstrated that frequent maintenance of your delivery truck can help enhance your delivery driver’s safety while lowering costs. If your delivery vehicle experiences even the smallest mechanical issue, you should only permit your drivers to hit the road when the issue is resolved. Adopting this strategy will keep your delivery drivers safe while reducing the risk of costly crashes.
2. Get Your Delivery Vehicles and Drivers Insured
Your delivery drivers can be involved in an accident when you least expect it. Since your delivery drivers are mostly on the road, that increases their exposure to vehicle-related crashes. If such accidents occur, it can lead to serious financial liabilities for your company.
Therefore, to safeguard your business against such risks, you must get all your delivery vehicles an insurance policy from a reputable agency like Milepost Insurance. That way, you’ll get sufficient coverage if your delivery vehicle crash results in casualties. Ultimately, this will go a long way in ensuring your delivery drivers are safe and treatment is given even after an accident.
3. Adopt the Use of a Route Optimization Software
Want to take the safety of your company’s delivery drivers a notch higher? Consider leveraging route optimization software to reduce operational ineffectiveness or the risk of delivery crashes. Using the software, you can establish the shortest and most optimized routes your delivery drivers will follow.
The software’s route analysis system leverages an advanced algorithm capable of analyzing weather conditions, ETA updates, and real-time traffic. Then, it provides a tailored scheduled route for optimal results. Additionally, this software allows you to have centralized control and updates the location of your delivery truck in real time, permitting you to keep track of your drivers’ safety and performance.
4. Employ Qualified Delivery Drivers
The other useful tip to help you keep your company’s delivery drivers safe is hiring professionally trained drivers in the first place. Therefore, before hiring a prospective driver, ensure you perform a thorough background check to ensure they have the right qualifications. During your background check, ensure you perform due diligence regarding their driver’s license to confirm it’s valid and that they have a safe driving record.
Additionally, ensure your company’s hiring team validates the details provided by prospective drivers with the relevant authority to be on the safer side. Furthermore, ensure you hire delivery drivers with enough experience who can reduce the probability of crashes and understand the significance of driving safely.
5. Encourage Your Company’s Delivery Drivers to Have Enough Rest and Breaks
Depending on the degree and type of delivery business you run, you should incorporate time for your drivers to break and rest. That way, you can prevent burnout among your delivery drivers while enhancing your business’ overall operational efficiency. Therefore, you should refrain from forcing a busy schedule on your drivers, which can lead to drain-outs and crashes.
6. Encourage Your Delivery Drivers to Adhere to Traffic Rules
Always encourage your drivers to drive at safe and controllable speeds, obey the various traffic signs, and adjust their driving habits depending on the prevailing weather conditions. It’s also vital for your drivers to remember to monitor blind spots while hitting the road to deliver products to customers. By obeying and taking traffic rules seriously, your delivery drivers can increase their safety on the roads.
Final Thoughts
Ensuring your company’s delivery drivers are safe while in transit delivering goods to clients is paramount. Therefore, you should employ the above six tips to help keep them safe whenever they hit the road to deliver products.
