What does Lockdown 2 
mean for fleet managers?

Here we go again.

Lockdown 2 is kicking off on Thursday, and while it’s possible there won’t be quite the same level of hysteria and concern as there was first time around, life is about to get a little different again.

So what should fleets be doing throughout November to comply with restrictions, to keep people safe and to sidestep making the avoidable mistakes of Lockdown 1?

Will you extend existing leasing contracts?

Like 50% of UK fleet managers did, you probably extended existing contracts to save money during Lockdown 1. But if you were planning to make replacements to your fleet before the end of the year, could you extend existing contracts further?

Could you make greater use of your surplus vehicles?

If you still have any unused vehicles in your fleet, could you reassign these to any employees who are entitled to a new vehicle during Lockdown 2? Doing this is often covered in your car policy and would mean you could further delay ordering any new vehicles.

Have you found the most flexible contracts?

If you do have urgent, unavoidable mobility requirements and require extra vehicles, look carefully for the most flexible solution without long contractual terms.

Advice for drivers

At the risk of teaching your Granny how to suck eggs, you’d do well to re-issue safety advice to drivers this week, to help curb the spread of the virus throughout Lockdown 2 and going forward. (I know it’s been a long time since I sang Happy Birthday To You while washing my hands, and a reminder message probably won’t go amiss with your fleet either.)

The return of the safe place

One thing that delivery fleet managers need to rethink is “safe places”. Over the last few months, you might have noticed more and more recipients asking your drivers to leave their parcels with a neighbour, like in the good old days.

But Lockdown 2 should serve as a useful reminder about how to reduce the risks of cross-contamination during deliveries. So wherever possible:

• Insist that recipients name a safe alternative place for delivery when they’re not in – no more leaving parcels at the neighbours’ again.
• Leave deliveries on the ground outside the front door and ring the bell/call the recipient to let them know it’s there. Encourage drivers to steer clear of handing parcels directly to recipients once more.
• Continue to confirm receipt with photo consent.

Keeping things clean

• Keep issuing and encouraging use of hand sanitizer regularly, in particular after making deliveries.
• Use gloves to refuel wherever possible or wash or sanitize hands afterwards.
• Always wash your hands for 20 seconds when you get to work or arrive at home.
• Continue to use antibacterial spray or wipes to clean your driving environment throughout the day.
• Clean all devices that are touched at the start and end of every shift and between drop-offs.

If you'd like a succinct, downloadable round-up to help you get to grips with Covid19 precautions to support your essential workers, click here!

The smarter we are as an industry, the sooner we might see some level of normality return. And if you’d like any advice about how you can better manage your fleets remotely throughout the second wave, please do give us a call.

Take care, stay safe and, together, we’ll get through this!