Driver Safety in Extreme Weather: Strategies to Protect Your Team While Meeting Customer Demand

Driver safety is more than a moral obligation; it’s a business necessity. In North America, where weather extremes vary widely, prioritizing safety is critical to driver retention in a highly competitive labor market. Neglecting these concerns can lead to dissatisfaction, decreased driver productivity, and costly turnover—or worse, accidents that put lives at risk. 

1. Winter preparations: Equip vehicles with winter tires, antifreeze, and emergency supplies like blankets and shovels. 
2. Summer readiness: Ensure air conditioning systems are functioning and provide access to water and protective gear. 
3. Regular maintenance: Conduct electronic driver vehicle inspections to address vulnerabilities like tire wear or depleted fluids before they lead to breakdowns. 

Winter storms bring hazards such as icy roads, reduced visibility, and snowdrifts, turning routine deliveries into potentially dangerous missions. Preparing vehicles and drivers for these conditions is essential to maintaining operations. 

• Winterized vehicles: Beyond tires and antifreeze, include safety kits with food, flashlights, and other essentials for emergencies. 
• Cautious driving: Train drivers to adjust their speeds and increase following distances in poor weather. 
• Track and communicate: Utilize GPS for logistics tracking to monitor vehicle locations and provide real-time assistance during delays or route changes. 

With the right tools and preparation, companies can ensure drivers remain safe while maintaining critical deliveries, even in the harshest conditions. 

Heatwaves are becoming increasingly common across North America, posing unique challenges for last-mile delivery drivers. Vehicles without air conditioning and long hours in direct sunlight can take a toll on driver health and morale. 

• Adjust delivery schedules: Most last-mile delivery drivers normally work during daylight hours, even during the height of summer, as they do throughout the year. If possible, shift deliveries during a heatwave to cooler parts of the day, such as early mornings or evenings, to reduce exposure. 
• Optimize routes: Use advanced route optimization software to limit time spent in traffic and reduce vehicle idle times. 
• Support drivers: Provide cooling towels, hydration supplies, and regular breaks in shaded areas. 

By rethinking fleet management and incorporating flexible scheduling, companies can improve driver and fleet safety, reduce environmental impact, and maintain customer satisfaction during heatwaves. 

Flooding can quickly disrupt delivery operations, turning roads into impassable waterways. Effective strategies and advanced route planning software are key to responding to the curveballs Mother Nature throws at us. 

• Alternative routes: Use real-time GPS, predictive ETAs, and real-time traffic data to proactively—even automatically, redirect drivers around flooded areas. 
• Transparent communication: Notify customers of delays with real-time order tracking and provide accurate ETAs. 

By proactively planning for these events, businesses can minimize disruptions and maintain customer trust. 

Richards Building Supply (RBS), a wholesale distributor of building materials, leveraged Descartes’ last-mile delivery solutions to improve delivery reliability, even during weather disruptions. 

By utilizing real-time GPS updates, RBS gained full visibility into vehicle locations and delivery status. This enabled the company to make route adjustments as needed and keep customers informed of any changes. 

"This has been instrumental to us and to our customers when weather interferes with planned work and the associated planned deliveries," said Nicholas Chesna, Fleet Assistant Manager, RBS. 

This capability allowed RBS to maintain customer trust and operational efficiency, demonstrating the importance of real-time logistics technology in overcoming weather-related challenges. Read the full case study to learn more.        

Investing in the right extreme weather logistics tools empowers your business to deliver a safer, more reliable service that directly benefits your customers. Descartes’ routing, mobile, and telematics solutions help ensure on-time and efficient deliveries with advanced delivery appointment scheduling and route planning optimization. By keeping customers informed with order tracking and automated notifications, you build trust and strengthen relationships, even in the face of unexpected delays. 

For your drivers, tools like the walkaround driver app simplify vehicle inspections, reducing downtime and enhancing safety, while driver safety training fosters a culture of care and compliance. These solutions not only safeguard your operations but also improve customer satisfaction by consistently meeting delivery expectations, no matter the weather. 

Navigate extreme weather conditions with confidence. Discover how Descartes can help you deliver exceptional service and safeguard your operations in any weather. Contact a solution expert today to learn more.