As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect America and the world, one thing has not changed: the dedication of our nation’s truckers to everyday safety.
We continue to deliver needed medical supplies, food and other merchandise that are needed by the American people.
As an industry that is in constant contact with the public, truckers are aware of the issues of stopping the spread of viruses, including influenza, and other communicable illnesses. In fact many truckers are not changing their routine drastically. They have always been aware of the need to stop germs from spreading.
Tips for everyday safety to stay healthy
As a reminder, here are some everyday safety tips that may help you healthy no matter where you are.
- Use lots of soap and water and wash your hands frequently. The recommended time to wash your hands is 20 seconds. This is the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. While we know this is a good rule of thumb, you may get tired of singing the same song, so here are some recommended tunes that you may sing instead while you lather up.
- If you can’t wash with soap and water, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol is also effective. While we know that hand sanitizer is in short supply right now, the nation’s truckers continue to deliver needed supplies to stores and medical facilities right now.
- Wipe down your “office” area–the truck cab–on a frequent basis with disinfecting wipes, including the steering wheel and door handles.
- Stock up on foods that you can carry with you in case restaurants, rest stops or stores close. In these uncertain times, many business owners are unsure of whether they can serve the public or not. Some restaurants have gone to carry-out only, but even that is no guarantee. So, keeping food with you might be a good plan for the near future.
- Stay well-rested to stay healthy. Even when delivering emergency supplies, drivers should rest for at least 10 hours after that and pull over to sleep if they feel drowsy. We are aware that a few states–including Pennsylvania–temporarily shut down rest stops but some have already reopened, with restroom and limited food access.
- Bring personal items with you for your entire trip. It’s possible that you may need to pack a bit more right now until things settle down. It’s never a bad idea to be prepared, however, no matter what is going on in the world.
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) also is keeping tabs on what is going on in the industry right now.
Veltri cares about our drivers
At Veltri, we want you to know that we value our truckers. We want to keep them safe and healthy at all times. And we take pride in our driver retention (average of at least six years). We know respecting and valuing our regional drivers is a key to our success in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Our drivers are seasoned and well trained!
If someone asks “why work for Veltri?”, our answer is that we have been a family-owned and -operated company for two generations. Our competitive pay and benefits packages are among the best in the country and we get our drivers home every night.
And to top it off, we care about our drivers and want to ensure their health and safety at all times so they can come to work each day with a sense of purpose and pride as we provide needed services for so many people.