The overwhelming growth in the popularity of online shopping in the past years has made choosing the right courier partner an essential part of business today. The safety of a product in transit is mainly dependent on how the courier handles it. Hence, enterprises are particular about finding the best delivery service that manages their products well until it reaches the customer’s doorstep.
When you manage your own delivery service, the safety of the consumer goods you handle is of utmost importance. But along with the protection of items for delivery should be intentionality in also protecting the drivers who are out on the field making these deliveries.
Proper management of your employees should not be a suggestion. It is a given to provide drivers a safe and healthy environment within which they can accomplish their jobs properly.
These are how you can make sure you prioritize your drivers’ well-being as they manage deliveries.
Essentials to Protect Drivers in Delivery Service
Good employee management is directly linked to employee satisfaction and the success of your business. Take these steps to support your drivers.
1. Ensure that they have the right health benefits
To be clear, employers are not strictly required to provide healthcare benefits for their employees. However, the Affordable Care Act indicates that employers of medium to large businesses (50 or more all-day employees) provide health insurance for 95% of their employees.
While your employees cannot demand health insurance from you, healthcare coverage gives them peace of mind as they do their jobs daily. Insurance allows your employees to go to work knowing they are safe from risks beyond their control.
Ensure that each of your drivers has these necessary healthcare safeguards, as excluding certain employees with the same role can be seen as discrimination.
2. Provide the right equipment
This means performing regular maintenance on your delivery vehicles to ensure that employees only use equipment in good working order. Source your vehicles from reputable suppliers and have professionals check on them to do tune-ups or repairs before their next time on the road.
Aside from equipping them with the right tools on the road, consider their administrative needs, too.
For example, hold seminars or training sessions to walk truck drivers through income tax services available to them so that they can file taxes without incurring penalties. Financial literacy seminars can also help them understand how to best budget their earnings and manage their finances for long-term success.
3. Check on their mental and physical health
Your workers’ performance is intimately related to their current physical and mental state. For example, drivers who are in tough personal situations may take on more shifts at the expense of their health.
First, offer medical assistance where possible, such as telehealth services for both physical and mental health concerns. Next, address workplace shortcomings that could be causing them to make these decisions. These could be a lack of paid leaves or inadequate healthcare insurance, for instance.
You can reach out and speak with your employees to allow them to air any work-related problems or situations that could affect work performance. However, note that they may not be comfortable discussing some matters with you, so allow avenues for them to get the help they need.
4. Teach proper delivery protocols
While you cannot control what they do during deliveries, you can teach your drivers proper procedures when delivering products. Set a standard for road safety and parcel handling to keep drivers on the same page when dealing with various situations on the road.
Provide strict guidelines on proper driving techniques, such as avoiding distractions and driving within speed limits. Have protocols on how to stack and handle parcels, too, to prevent product damage that could lead to hefty fees shouldered by your courier service.
5. Practice extra safety measures against COVID-19
Keep your drivers well-protected against COVID-19 risks because they are the ones who are regularly going out to bring deliveries from point A to point B. The first is to encourage them to get vaccinated, as this is the best way to keep themselves and the people they interact with safe against the virus. Then provide protective equipment, including face masks and sanitizers, as they perform their deliveries.
While not all protections are a requirement for companies, they are expectations to ensure your drivers are safe and help your company grow. Make driver safety and well-being a priority to keep your business from getting into legal troubles regarding working conditions and employee treatment. This can also ensure that your company can move forward and thrive.
