As the coronavirus spreads, shippers are implementing new procedures for truck drivers making deliveries and arriving for pickups.
Numerous shippers contacted for this story either declined to comment on their current practices or did not respond, but social media has been abuzz in recent days with stories from drivers detailing their experiences.
Some drivers have stated that shippers are asking them to sign documents declaring their past international travel.
“I picked up a preloaded trailer yesterday. Had to sign a sheet that said I haven’t been to China and some other countries or haven’t knowingly been in contact with anyone who had been,” wrote one user.
Nestle has reportedly provided a document for drivers to sign. It states, “if you, or anyone with whom you’ve had direct contact or someone in your household, have travelled to any of the regions below in the past 14 days, please inform our security team.” It then lists the Greater China region, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Italy and Iran.
Social media users noted General Motors and Americold as other shippers asking basic health questions or asking drivers to sign documents related to recent travel and health.
Nestle, General Motors, and Americold have not responded to requests from FreightWaves on their current policies.
“We received quite a few messages today from shippers that they will be checking with drivers on their recent travel and health. I am guessing this will be the new norm for a while,” wrote one user.
Over the weekend, one carrier owner said one of his drivers was told paperwork would be placed at a table outside the facility and he could sign it there and return to his truck. He was not allowed inside the building.
Carriers are also responding to the conditions. UPS (NYSE: UPS) Senior Manager of Public Relations Matthew O’Connor said he could not disclose conversations the company has had with customers, but UPS is reminding employees about proper hygiene and what they should do if they exhibit any symptoms.
“This includes instituting hygiene protocols that are in line with suggested U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measures. If any employee experiences symptoms such as fever or respiratory infection, they are required to seek medical treatment immediately,” O’Connor told FreightWaves. “This is a fluid situation, and our primary concern is for the safety of our employees and the people in the affected areas.”
Like UPS, FedEx (NYSE: FDX) declined to speak for shipper practices, and it too is advising and educating employees on best practices to minimize risk.
“The safety and well-being of our team members and customers is our top priority,” Bonny Harrison, spokesperson for FedEx, said in an emailed statement. “We are closely monitoring guidance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and other public health organizations, and taking recommended precautions in terms of pilot, team member and customer health and safety.”
Harrison said FedEx team members are being advised to take any signs of illness seriously and seek medical attention as needed. It is also working to ensure the workplace remains clean, she said.
A statement from an Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) spokesperson said the company is concerned about the health of its employees and contractors.
“Our top priority is protecting people’s health and we are actively supporting employees and contractors on an individual, case-by-case basis. We will continue evaluating next steps should we see a much broader impact,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement to FreightWaves.
Amazon went on to say it continues to work with both public and private medical experts to ensure proper precautions are taken. It has also instituted a series of preventive health measures for employees, delivery and transportation partners that include frequent and intense cleaning at all sites, requiring employees to sanitize and clean work stations and vehicles with disinfectant/cleaning wipes at both the start and end of every shift, and staying home and seeking medical attention if they feel sick.
Hans Witt
I seen this same response during the MAD Cow scare. It is all C. Y. A paper work. The end result of the 720000 trucking regulation is the the driver and the carrier are held responsible for everything. This is knee-jerk reaction of Lawyers to blame a carrier or driver for their lack of ability to deal with the Wuhan Flue. I used to write ” signed under duress”. As far as the social distancing goes well, we have all delt with that before, some shippers treat driver as 3 class citizens every day. How ever I am worried about truck stop once this virus gets out there. Truck stops are ground hub of human transportation, like a air port, no screening. If this gets in the Homeless population , What then ?
Stephen Webster
This is different than mad cow this is worse. Mad cow did not spread as easily from human to human. I spent 32 days at queens park in the spring of 2006 protesting the government responsibility and ran many stories in the papers in the fall of 2004 and the spring of 2005. It is now at 1900 hours today in 3 different homeless shelters in the U S that I am aware of. My phone is+17168604681. Nobody should go on any cruise boat. I would have to have a really good reason to get on a commercial jet plane. A number of owner ops in Canada are parking their trucks in the next 3 or 4 days. I would stay clear of truck stops except for fuel if I (had) to run. My truck is parked as are many other cross border trucks.
Stephen Webster
It is now in a homeless shelter in New York City and maybe in a Toronto Canada homeless shelter as of today as the lack of public health care in both cases. Trucking companies and drivers need to be very careful. I have seen a big problem coming last December. I seen the lack of action in New York City shelter in November of 2019. I spent the night in it 600 feet from New York produce market. I have been in and out shelters for the last years and medical care has got much worse in the past 2 years in shelters in some parts of the U S as well as Ontario Canada. E-logs have made some truck drivers parking in bad areas and with no running the truck all night. We need to plan to have places for these people to stay.
Noble1 "suggests" SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO
This is beyond paranoia .
Quote :
“I picked up a preloaded trailer yesterday. Had to sign a sheet that said I haven’t been to China and some other countries or haven’t knowingly been in contact with anyone who had been,” wrote one user.”
QUOTE:
“Over the weekend, one carrier owner said one of his drivers was told paperwork would be placed at a table outside the facility and he could sign it there and return to his truck. He was not allowed inside the building.”
LOL! PARANOIA ! Told you , the mentalities in this industry is beyond whacked !
Both can play that silly game and use the “safety” preventive “card”
How about not transporting any goods that come from countries with infected patients unless the shipper guarantees that none of their goods could cause one to become infected with the virus ? Otherwise the shipper is to be held accountable and be sued . With this sort of irrational nonsense , shippers and most business’s would go bust and the world would stop turning .
You might as well quarantine everyone for 14 days until proven not to be infected .
Where does the madness end ???
Has anyone learned from history ??? CARRIERS LIE & MADE THEIR DRIVERS LIE IN THE PAST CONCERNING LOG BOOKS !!!
Now you expect them to be honest all of a sudden ??? ROTFLMAO !
What do you expect them to say on the so called health declaration sheetamajig ??? LOL ! They will ALL play the “not aware” ignorance card . SILLY SHIPPERS !
Just wash your freakin’ hands and don’t cough in people’s direction ! It’s called hygiene and common courtesy !
In my humble opinion ……..
NOTE :
Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU’LL PROSPER ! IMHO