Related: KAR Global Transitions to Simulcast-Only Sales to Minimize Coronavirus Exposure
Tips to Reduce Fleet Driver Exposure to COVID-19
Whether you’re a delivery fleet driver, a roadside technician, or any other type of driver that interacts with other people, there are steps you can take to reduce the potential exposure to COVID-19 coronavirus.

Image by s weis from Pixabay.
Editor's note, this story has been updated with new information as of March 27.
While there are many offices that are closing down their physical locations and directing their employees to work remotely, there are still many fleet drivers that are out on the road.
Whether you’re a delivery fleet driver, a roadside technician, or any other type of driver that interacts with other people, there are steps you can take to reduce the potential exposure to COVID-19 coronavirus.
It all starts at the beginning of your shift, according to AAA.
Before you leave your home, wash your hands thoroughly at the sink for 20 seconds with soap and water.
Throughout your day, whenever you receive any sort of equipment, spray the equipment with disinfectant spray or wipe it down using disinfectant wipes.
The Customized Logistics and Delivery Association (CLDA) tells its members to avoid using driver lounges or accepting food or drink hospitality at stops.
A good item to have while on the road is a pack of nitrile gloves. Wear gloves for every job you start through the day, to reduce the chance that you contract something from any given location you visit throughout the day.
To that end, avoid shaking anyone’s hands at a stop, and attempt to remain a CDC-recommended six feet away from people to the best of your ability.
If you’re going to be entering someone’s home or entering a building with other people, call ahead to ask if anyone has been ill in recent weeks. The CLDA recommends that if an illness is confirmed, inform them that they call you back for completion of a delivery two weeks after the ill person/people have been symptom free.
In an instance where you are accepting a package for delivery, don’t accept the package from their shipping party’s hands; instead ask that the person places the package on a surface and then pick it up from that surface after the delivering party steps away.
Following the completion of a job, disinfect your hands and wipe down your vehicle.
Wipe down the inside of the vehicle, such as the door, dashboard, seat, door hand, and any exposed surfaces with spray disinfectant or disinfectant wipes after anyone enters your vehicle.
Have a small trash bag to dispose of soiled gloves, towels and wipes; make sure that you dispose of that small trash bag at the end of each shift, according to AAA.
A few items that you probably handle every day that might not be getting the attention it should is your credit card, corporate fuel card, or cash. These items can hold the virus so it’s a good idea to wear gloves whenever you handle these items.
At the end of your shift, wash your hands again thoroughly at a sink for 20 seconds with soap and water.
To make sure that you’re using products that will properly disinfect your vehicle, the Environmental Protection Agency has a site that lists all the products that currently meet its criteria for use against COVID-19.
More Safety

The Safest Fleets Aren’t the Ones with the Most Technology
You’ve made the telematics investment. Here’s how to capture the other half of its value and build the safest fleet on the road.
Read More →
Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks
Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness
Read More →
NETS Sets 2026 Fleet Safety Benchmark Conference for Indianapolis
The Sept. 15–17 program will feature fleet benchmarking data, case studies, emerging technologies, and implementation strategies while running alongside the NSC Safety Congress & Expo.
Read More →
Off-the-Job Crashes Account for 43% of Employers’ $61.7 Billion Crash Burden
NETS quantifies costs dispersed across fleet, risk, HR, and other departments while providing new per-crash benchmarks for employers.
Read More →
Ram Recalls More Than 1.27 Million 1500 Pickups for Seat Belt Anchor Issue
The recall affects certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 pickups that may have improperly attached second-row seat belt buckle anchors.
Read More →How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48%
Fleet leaders don't need more data, they need clearer visibility into what the data is saying. This case study explores how one utility replaced speeding-event counts with a single metric — miles driven in violation — to strengthen safety and significantly reduce speeding violations.
Read More →
Operation Safe Driver Week: Why the Industry's Oldest Safety Campaign Still Matters to Fleets
A look at how a 2007 enforcement initiative became one of the most consequential weeks on the fleet safety calendar, and what it means for your drivers in 2026.
Read More →
Nexar-Nauto Merger Aims to Give Fleets Better Safety Intelligence Through Larger Driving Dataset
Stefan Heck tells Automotive Fleet that combining more than 10 billion miles of driving history with Nexar's AI models will give fleets deeper insights into driver risk and roadway conditions than either company could provide independently.
Read More →From Silos to Solutions: Relationship Management for Safer Fleets
From telematics adoption and driver accountability to policy consistency and risk mitigation, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build a safer fleet culture without slowing business down.
Read More →
IIHS Launches First Commercial Vehicle Safety Evaluations
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has begun evaluating heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans for driver protection. Which models earned top marks?
Read More →
