As the novel coronavirus outbreak has grown out of control in China and spread to parts of other countries, medical facilities are struggling to keep up with the demand for basic medical supplies like face masks, rubber gloves, and more. 

As the virus, known to science as 2019-nCoV, continues to run its course, medical authorities learn what makes the Wuhan virus different from the ordinary coronavirus.  People are rearranging their lives to adhere to the warnings.  Likewise, businesses are changing the way they serve their customers. 

The Impact of Coronavirus Safety on the Trucking Industry

According to leading medical professionals, the primary way to combat the spread of the coronavirus is to limit human contact.  That may be possible for people who work at home, but for people working in local trucking companies-it’s not.

Having taken a closer look at how medical professionals are asking us to protect ourselves from the virus, we can make meaningful assumptions on the effect that it will have on the trucking industry.

According to the World Health Organization, the primary precautions everyone should be taking are:

·         Frequently wash hands with an alcohol-based sanitizer or warm water and soap

·         Cover the mouth and nose with the elbow/tissue when coughing or sneezing

·         Avoid close contact with anyone who may be ill

·         Seek medical help if fever, cough and/or difficulty breathing, occur and share travel history with healthcare providers

·         Avoid unprotected contact with live animals

·         Avoid eating undercooked animal products

What Makes the Coronavirus Different From the Common Cold?

The common cold and flu are caused by coronaviruses very similar to the one which appears to have originated in Wuhan, China.  What makes this one different is that its symptoms are more pronounced and it is more resilient when outside the body.

That means a person is more likely to come into contact with the virus because it can live for longer periods of time on surfaces.  It also means that the threat of injury and death for those whose health is compromised is more serious.

Precautions Local Trucking Companies Should Take

Most people working in expedited freight carrier services, cargo trailer security, and secure shipping are healthy enough that contracting the virus would not be more dangerous than a particularly bad case of flu.  The real danger is in the ability of the virus to remain active on surfaces outside the body for prolonged periods of time.  That means those who are not healthy enough to contract the virus without risking death are placed at higher risk if others do not guard against the spread of the virus.

For organizations adept at providing secure shipping services, protecting packages and their recipients against a viral threat means extending and enhancing active security measures already in place.

Secure freight carriers already have secured checkpoints, authorization-dependent stops, chemical and temperature containment capabilities, and more.  We can provide secure and reliable protocols that will inhibit the spread of the virus without affecting delivery times.

Coronavirus-Secure Trucking Protocols

·         Provide every truck, and exchange point with personal protective gear such as rubber gloves, face masks, and anti-viral sanitizer

·         Train shipping staff to sneeze and cough into their elbows or a disposable tissue

·         Wipe down packages at each change of hands

·         Advise personnel to take measures to bolster their immune systems

·         Ensure all food and beverage transport containers maintain the proper temperature at which a given food or beverage product is preserved

Road Scholar Transport is Taking Action Against the Outbreak

Here at Road Scholar Transport, secure freight and delivery is the core of our operation.  While universal precautions against the coronavirus will mean added costs and training for us, our customers require and expect secure and reliable delivery.

Our mission is to provide that same security and reliability you expect while protecting you and your goods against this viral outbreak.

Get in touch today to learn more about how Road Scholar Transport protects you and your deliveries.

 

https://craneww.com/knowledge-center/latest-news-and-info/coronavirus/

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jan/27/coronavirus-how-to-protect-yourself-from-infection