Hurricane season in the U.S. is in full force with the recent Hurricane Debby and incoming Hurricane Ernesto. Even outside of hurricane season, it’s important for fleets to have plans in place for when—not if—adverse weather events affect their operations.
While some weather events, such as hurricanes, are predictable in terms of when and where they are going to happen, others like tornadoes are less predictable. Either way, fleets need to plan ahead for handling bad weather before, during, and after the storm.
How fleets should prepare before a weather event
Preparation is key to protecting both drivers and equipment from the effects of adverse weather, according to Mike Stanton, SVP of operations and safety for Lily Transportation. Stanton advised monitoring national and local weather forecasts when a hurricane or bad weather system is approaching. This information will help fleets communicate plans with employees and customers.
Stanton told FleetOwner some preparation goes back to new-hire training and follow-up training for each Lily Transportation location. This training ensures fleet employees know what the plan is for different weather events, especially those specific to their region. Lily Transportation ensures its drivers fuel up before weather hits in case gas stations are closed or unreachable, know what tools and supplies are aboard their trucks, and know how to communicate if electricity goes out.
In a blog post, Uber Freight’s Mollie LeBlanc, VP of operations, and Nathan Adams, VP of transportation and procurement, discussed how Uber Freight helps its customers prepare for adverse weather:
“It’s vital for logistics teams to pre-plan as much as possible. When we work with our managed transportation customers, we aim to make this process productive and tailored to their specific network needs. Together with our customer’s logistics team, we map out the specific routes and shipments that could be impacted by a storm, offer alternative trucks or other modes of transportation to rely on, and recommend how to quickly adapt procurement strategies after the storm has passed.”
How fleets should prioritize safety during adverse weather
After understanding and communicating the storm’s path, Stanton said Lily Transportation focuses on getting as much stock to customers as possible before the storm hits. But eventually, the focus shifts from preparation to safety.
“Our top two philosophies are one, safety first; and two, employees are our greatest assets,” Stanton said. “We're not going to go against our philosophies to get widgets out to the field and put people in danger; that won't happen. Every one of our drivers is the captain of their ship, and they control what happens there. So when it's unsafe in their eyes, then it's unsafe in our eyes.”
Adams from Uber Freight discussed helping customers balance safety and cargo needs.
“It's all about balancing the safety, which obviously is the important part,” Adams told FleetOwner. “We're going to lean into that but still try to get the trucks in position to be able to move back into the area with the goods when the hurricane passes.”
See also: How to ensure a safe fleet during inclement weather
Why communication is important for fleets during adverse weather
For less predictable situations, such as tornadoes, Adams believes close business relationships are important.
“The unfortunate part about the unpredictable ones is you're always kind of in scramble mode, but it eases a little bit when you know you can call your strong partner Uber freight,” Adams said. “We'll work through the issues to get back on the road to recovery. And we do that by working with our carrier partners closely, keeping them up to speed, having a good, long-term relationship.”
Stanton highlighted the importance of communication during all weather events but especially unpredictable ones about which a fleet may not have known was imminent, like an earthquake or tornado.
“We follow the same plan,” Stanton said. “There's a phone tree that we utilize at all our operations. We let everybody who needs to know: corporate, corporate safety, corporate risk management, the regional vice president, directors down to the GMs.”
How fleets should handle the aftermath of adverse weather
After a weather event, there’s still a lot a fleet may need to do to recover, according to Stanton, including understanding potential damages. Like before a weather event, Stanton claimed monitoring is important for multiple things, including state agency policies on road closures, empty trailers, and more. According to Stanton, highway cameras are also a great way for fleet managers to observe road conditions after snow, a storm, etc.
In Uber Freight’s blog, preparation was also highlighted as important in the aftermath of a weather event: “When a hurricane makes landfall, it can have a volatile effect on supply chains. Logistics teams often have to make decisions on the fly to adapt. It’s never too late to prepare for any scenario.”
