With winter just around the corner, now is the perfect time to take care of semi fleet prep for the holiday season. You need to ensure your fleet and drivers are prepared for cold temperatures and wet, snowy, and icy conditions. By taking the time to do so now, you can avoid many roadside breakdowns leaving your fleet and drivers stranded.
Preparing Your Drivers
Preparing your drivers requires ensuring they have everything they need to remain comfortable throughout the holiday season and winter. For example, if you have been putting off replacing truck seats in your trucks, now would be a good time to do so.
When truck drivers have comfortable seats, they are more alert and can respond more quickly to changing road conditions and driving conditions. Plus, heated seats are available to keep your drivers warm even on the coldest winter days. Additionally, your truck drivers will appreciate having a new comfy seat.
You should also ask your drivers to submit any requests for paid time off for Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years. This way you can fill in gaps in your schedules. For your drivers that want to work on the holiday, make sure to offer some incentive like doubling their mileage rate or giving them double time if you pay them by the hour.
Last, this is a good time to review winter safety driving habits and what to do should their trucks break down. For example, you could schedule a Zoom meeting with your drivers or set up an online e-learning course so you can verify everyone has completed it.
Preparing Your Trucks
Preparing your fleet for the holidays and winter means verifying all of your trucks are winter-ready by completing the following:
- Verify all maintenance is current and your trucks are brought in at set intervals to keep up with maintenance.
- Perform a comprehensive truck inspection during maintenance that includes checking tire tread and depth, tire pressure, brake pads, fluids, battery strength, antifreeze, and headlights, tail lights, and brake lights tests.
- Install Road Watch sensors on your trucks. Road Watch sensors monitor and display road surface and air temperatures. They can help alert your drivers to deteriorating road conditions, such as black ice.
- Plan appropriate travel routes. During the holiday season, there will be more traffic on the roads. You will want to monitor real-time traffic reports and communicate route changes with your drivers as soon as possible, so they do not get stuck in traffic. Ideally, you should have a primary route and at least two alternative routes planned.
- Upgrade security features on trucks and trailers. Theft is a major concern any time of the year but often tends to be much higher during the holiday season. Ensure your trucks and trailers are outfitted with the latest anti-theft devices and tracking technologies.
Preparing for the Retail Impact on the Trucking Industry
The holiday season brings one of the busiest shopping times of the year. Whether purchased online or at retail stores, you can expect an increase in cargo volume and faster shipping deadlines your customers will expect. This translates into more truckloads and being able to move them no matter where they need to go.
Do not take on more than you can handle.
Part of developing and fostering exceptional customer relationships is being able to deliver freight and loads on time as promised. With a higher volume of shipments that need to be delivered, you need to remember to be selective and limit yourself to what you can actually deliver on time. Only fit in additional loads when it makes sense and will not ruin those relationships you have been building and fostering for years.
Review your commercial trucking insurance.
Now is the perfect time to go over what type of coverage is on your fleet and make changes to ensure your vehicles and drivers are properly protected. You need to be prepared should your vehicles or trailers get broken into or vandalized, things are stolen, or there is an accident.
Expect increases in fuel costs.
Be prepared for increases in fuel costs from having your drivers moving more loads to actual increases at the pump. To make things easier on your drivers, consider adding fuel payment cards to their mobile wallets so they can quickly and easily refuel and get back on the road.
Offer bonuses for your drivers.
Being on the road daily and away from family and friends shows how committed your drivers are to you and your company. Take the time to reward them for their hard work by offering bonuses and other incentives.
Consider implementing team driving during the holiday season.
With more loads and cargo to move, time is lost when your drivers have to stop and wait until they can resume driving due to driving regulations. A viable solution is to implement team driving to keep your trucks on the road longer each day.
Find What You Need for Semi Fleet Prep
Suburban Seating & Safety can help you find everything you need for your semi fleet prep for the holiday season, including in-stock and custom truck seats, Road Watch sensors, cab accessories, mattresses, and more. Please feel free to shop online or contact us at 1-844-SAS-SEAT (844-727-7328) today.
