Many Houston businesses are pivoting their operations and offering delivery services to help keep their workers employed, and customers supplied while still complying with the state-issued safety requirements for COVID-19. This means that many businesses are transferring employees who previously worked on-site into delivery driver roles.
Since Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, traffic volumes can be high, especially during peak periods when delivery drivers will be operating. As a result, accidents are bound to happen. Having your employees involved in an accident is not only dangerous, it can be costly if you end up requiring legal representation in an auto accident case.
It’s up to your business to take steps to help prevent accidents, so here are some protocols you can implement to keep your delivery drivers safe.
Ensure Adequate Driving Qualifications
Before sending your delivery drivers out on the road, ensure they have the correct qualifications to drive for your business. This is a necessary step whether they are using a company or personal vehicle. To do this, check their MVR – Motor Vehicle Record, look at the number of points and moving violations they have acquired, and develop guidelines regarding when an employee would not be qualified to drive for your company. Be sure to share this information with your workers and update them as needed.
Enforce A Strict Distracted Driving Policy
Your drivers should never be texting or using their devices while behind the wheel, even in hands-free mode. Create a distracted driving policy, and ensure employees understand and follow it at all times. Never contribute to the problem of distracted driving by trying to contact your drivers while they are out on the road, and make sure they understand you don't expect them to return your call until they can safely do so.
Hold A Safety Briefing Daily
Conduct a short safety meeting daily or provide regular safety moments with tips and reminders for your employees. If you have employees that are mainly covering a smaller service area in Houston, be sure they know the community-specific laws and remind them of the speed limits on the roads on which they will be traveling.
For example, you can remind drivers to take note of the weather before their shift starts and ensure they have the correct safety measures available for any adverse weather conditions. If your employees will be travelling on residential streets, provide reminders about pets, children, and other potential hazards in these areas.
Establish Best Practices For Driver-Customer Interactions
Along with ensuring your drivers are safe while on the road in order to prevent accidents, take some time to establish consistent driver-customer interactions, to ensure the delivery process is safe for everyone. For example, have your driver verify the phone number on the order, and request directions directly from the customer. If a driver is making a delivery at night, ask the customer to leave a porch light on. Train your drivers to park in well-lit areas and supply flashlights to illuminate where they are walking to ensure they do not encounter potential trip and fall hazards.
To comply with COVID-19 requirements, offer contact-free delivery for your drivers and customers. Have the driver leave the package at the door, and request that your workers take a picture of the delivery at the home, to verify it arrived safely. Offer payment options online, which will eliminate the need for any person-to-person contact between the delivery person and customer at the door.
Are You Keeping Your Delivery Drivers Safe?
As you can see, there are several steps you can take to ensure your delivery drivers remain safe. Whether you are just introducing delivery into your business model, or have been offering shipment for some time, reviewing and implementing safety measures regularly is important to avoid accidents and ensure delivery success.
