Beginning in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and spreading to dozens of other major U.S. cities, ongoing protests and looting in response to the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd has caused civil unrest across the country. At least 12 major cities have declared a state of emergency, instituted a nightly curfew and called in the state’s National Guard.

This civil unrest threatens the normal operations of both local businesses and national logistics operations including trucking carriers pushing loads from city to city. Consider the following when dispatching loads to areas of civil unrest:

  1. Create a plan. Draw a decision tree that drivers can easily understand and be trained on. The tree will walk drivers through the steps to take before, during and after a situation escalates. The plan will include how detailed information will be disseminated and who the drivers should contact if they have questions about what to do or need information from the field.
  2. Monitor the news and areas that will potentially impact drivers. Dispatch should collaborate and communicate with drivers on their route. Will the driver travel through areas of civil unrest? As new areas of impact surface, or as impacted areas become more serious, transfer this information immediately to drivers. Anticipate and plan for regional curfews that could impact the trip as well.
  3. Communicate with customers and shipment receivers. Determine their status and ask if someone from the company will be there to supervise or assist with cargo off-loading when the driver arrives. Avoid scenarios where a driver is working solo to off-load cargo. Know that retail stores are either closed or currently operating under restricted hours.
  4. Work with law enforcement and emergency management personnel. Let them know your concerns. They may be willing to work with your business to ensure that stores remain stocked. Call these meetings now to identify the go-to people in the event of any emergency station. Consider local, county and state police as well as emergency management personnel.
  5. Hold a driver meeting.Drivers will need to know their role, what to do and what not to do in very specific situations. Remind drivers not to engage in hostile actions of they encounter protesters. Driving a vehicle through a protest is not an acceptable action. Avoid these areas at all costs, even if it means taking a detour.
  6. Prohibit the carrying of guns of weapons inside the trucks. The liability for doing so will reflect on the motor carrier and could even be seen as endorsed by your organization.
  7. Return safely. After off-loading and prior to a return trip or dispatch to another destination, both driver and dispatch should communicate again as many areas of civil unrest are fluid, with protests popping up in unexpected places.

For more information on managing your fleet during a civil unrest, reach out to your HUB Transportation expert.