The recent pandemic hasn’t stopped our country’s trucking industry. In fact, it’s made it even more crucial to the continuance of everyday life for the normal American than ever before. Spending habits have changed and shipments of goods are being utilized on a much larger scale than before.
This increased importance doesn’t negate the fact that there is a real sickness out there that’s having severe effects on a large number of people’s health. And no matter how badly we want our lives to get back to normal, it’s going to be a while before that can happen.
But that’s not going to stop truck drivers. Shipments are going to have to be made in order to keep our society moving. So how can truck drivers carry out their duties while keeping themselves safe?
Here are some safety tips for truck drivers to keep you healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pay Attention To Your Health
It can be tempting to focus on the task at hand and work through any feelings of sickness. We often become fixated on doing our jobs and put our own well-being off for later. But for those infected with COVID-19, this can have wide-ranging effects beyond our own health.
Notify your supervisor if you have any of the symptoms associated with the sickness as listed by the CDC:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Visit M&W Transportation to learn more about Nashville trucking jobs.
Limit Contact With Others
One of the most common ways to catch the illness is through direct contact with other people. This is why one of the main safety tips for truck drivers is to practice what has come to be known as social distancing.
Try to maintain at least six feet of separation between yourself and other people. This includes every visit to a truck stop or gas station, every meal, and even back at headquarters. Use electronic billing and invoices whenever possible during deliveries. Call in or radio to dock managers regarding deliveries. Limit your overall stops to lessen your potential for exposure as much as possible.
Be Careful What you Touch
COVID-19 can live on surfaces for a period of time. Avoid touching public surfaces as much as possible. This isn’t always going to be feasible in terms of opening doors and such, but you can avoid other surfaces such as handrails. The virus is contagious and easily spread to others that touch the same surface.
But just getting the virus on your hands isn’t enough to infect you. It requires a second step to get into your system. You can help mitigate this danger by avoiding touching your mouth, eyes, and nose until you are able to clean and sanitize your hands.
Wear a Facemask When in Public
Social distancing is a great help to avoid spreading COVID-19. Facemasks help in much the same way. A cloth facemask can limit your exposure. It can also limit your potential for spreading the illness to others should you be infected without realizing it.
It’s recommended to wear a facemask every time you leave your truck to go into a public space. Simply keep your facemask available in your truck where it is easily reachable. Then slip it over your face before leaving. It will soon be an unconscious move much like strapping on your seatbelt before hitting the road.
Sanitize the Interior of Your Truck
It’s very easy for us to bring the infected surfaces we touch in public into the cab of the truck. We might unknowingly have touched something despite attempts to keep our hands to ourselves. This makes the inside of your truck a hazard as well.
Bring along some sanitary wipes and frequently wipe down the areas of the truck you touch the most. This includes the door handle, steering wheel, seat belt and buckle, temperature controls, and anything else that sees a lot of contact.
Wash Your Hands
It’s important for us to pay close attention to our hands. This is why we sanitize the surfaces in our truck and avoid touching public surfaces. This practice should be continued to include frequent and thorough hand washing. You should get into the habit of scrubbing your hands for at least twenty seconds or using hand sanitizer. This should be done before every meal, before and after touching your facemask, blowing your nose, using the restroom, and before climbing back into your truck after a delivery or pitstop.
Some of these safety tips for truck drivers might seem over the top, but there’s nothing wrong with being overly cautious. Truck drivers spend most of their time in public. It’s your responsibility to keep yourself healthy. This will not only save you the discomfort of possibly contracting the illness, but it can keep you from passing it to others as well.