How to Prepare Your Fleet for Hurricane Season

Each year, hurricanes cause devastating damage to fleets located in vulnerable regions. Knowing how to keep your fleet safe during hurricane season is essential to protecting your assets and ensuring your business continues to run efficiently. Keep reading to see which steps you need to take to ensure your fleet's safety during hurricane season.

The Impact Hurricanes Can Have on Fleets

Hurricane season for the Northern Hemisphere begins on June 1 and ends on November 30. During this time, it's essential to have a plan to protect your vehicles and drivers when hurricanes affect your area.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, 21% of yearly crashes occur due to adverse weather such as rain, fog, or wind. Hurricanes create these conditions, along with flooding, infrastructure damage, and fallen debris, making travel difficult.

Researchers are projecting future increases in hurricane frequency, so preparing for this adverse weather is critical to ensure you and your drivers know how to protect your fleet during hurricane season.

How to Prepare

Preparing your fleet for hurricane season will allow you to assess everything you need to maintain your business operations properly before, during, and after a storm. Several ways to ready your fleet for hurricane season in advance include:

1. Have an Emergency Fuel Supply

Taking advance precautions to ensure you have enough fuel during and after a hurricane is critical. Conserving fuel and storing enough to outlast the storm's effects will ensure you aren't affected by increased prices and potential shortages. Several steps you can take to prepare your emergency fuel supply include:

• Fill your vehicles' tanks before the storm.
• Conserve fuel by choosing efficient routes and avoiding wasteful habits like speeding.
• Only use your fuel reserves when necessary.
• Find reliable fuel partners.

2. Create an Emergency Plan

Storms can happen anytime, so it helps to have a plan in advance. Your emergency plan can include points where your drivers can safely stop in the event of storms and information about where to park your trailers. If you cannot keep your tractors and trailers inside due to flooding or lack of space, park them at a high location. Keep them close together, placing empty trailers between loaded ones to prevent the wind from moving them. 

3. Know Your Evacuation Routes

Your drivers need to know where to go to stay safe during dangerous weather. Set up evacuation routes in advance and use the best one based on the hurricane's direction. Emergency management departments in coastal states publish evacuation information that you can share with your employees.

4. Design Safety Kits

Ensure your drivers are safe in case of an emergency by creating kits for instances where they need to shelter in place in their vehicles. Pack enough food, water, and supplies for at least a few days. You should also consider additional items such as: 

• Flares
• Flashlights
• Paper maps
• Cash 
• Non-perishable food
• Water
• Change of clothes
• Battery-based chargers for phones/tablets/etc

5. Find Nearby Shelters

Knowing where the nearest hurricane shelters are is important so your drivers can navigate there if necessary. Fleet management technology enables you to direct drivers to the closest hurricane shelters.

6. Monitor Road Conditions

During hurricanes, it's essential to direct drivers based on real-time information and be able to locate them if they have an accident or vehicle issue. You should also ensure your drivers know to use caution, avoid downed power lines, drive slowly to prevent hydroplaning, turn around if roads are under several inches of water, and pay attention to barricades.

Also, you should continue being aware of conditions after the storm ends, as the damage from the hurricane could cause persistent issues like exposed gas mains or flooding. 

7. Allow for More Travel Time

Hurricanes can shut down routes and create traffic jams, so you should add extra time to your routes so your drivers don't feel compelled to rush.

Prepare Your Fleet with Solutions from Rand McNally

We provide effective fleet technology to assist you during and after hurricanes. This technology lets you find vehicles that may have misplaced during a storm, save gas by picking the most efficient routes, and more. Request a quote today for technology that will protect your fleet during hurricanes.