Couriers Urged to Contact Governors to be Declared Essentials Services for Public Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C. April 1, 2020 -- Couriers must be declared essential service providers in every state for the sake of public safety. Because of that need, today the Customized Logistics and Delivery Association (CLDA) charged each of its members and all members of the industry with contacting their governors to declare their companies Essential Service providers. “Members of this industry must contact their governors immediately to get this declaration before they issue Emergency Orders to shelter in place,” urged CLDA President Steve Howard. “If they wait, it might be too late and the services we provide to keep the supply chain moving could take days or even weeks to start up again. Once governors issue Emergency Orders to shelter in place, they will be shut down and the supply chain will grind to a halt.”

Because of the pleas of couriers in Florida and Washington, state governors of those states have already declared their work as essential services. CLDA members in Minnesota, New York and California have already contacted their governors and expect to get that designation within the next few days.

“We are asking governors in all 50 states to use their offices to declare the courier industry as an “Essential Service” under your peacetime emergency authority,” said Howard. “Courier services throughout this country are absolutely critical to both our current pandemic crisis and our supply chain.”

He pointed out that couriers are already actively engaged in delivering supplies to cope with the current crisis including delivering:

COVID-19 test samples from clinics and testing facilities to labs for diagnosis
Tissue and blood samples to diagnose and treat COVID-19 related illnesses
Pharmaceuticals to residences, assisted living facilities, hospitals and pharmacies
Diagnostic testing for all other non-pandemic related illnesses
Blood and blood products from blood banks to hospitals and clinics.

In addition, Howard pointed out that courier companies are the essential last-mile delivery providers that support people working at home. “Our members are helping these workers by delivering to homes laptops, printers, offices supplies and needed documents that can’t be emailed,” he said.

The courier industry serves a unique need that national delivery services can’t provide – deliveries in hours, not overnight. “Our customers need our services 24/7/365 for deliveries on an immediate, as-needed basis. Due to the urgent nature of these deliveries they cannot be made by national carriers such as USPS, UPS and FedEx that deliver in days, not hours,” said Howard.

CLDA is offering help to couriers in all 50 states - whether or not they are members of the association - with guidance on how to approach the governors of their states. Any courier may contact CLDA’s Government Affairs Director, Michael Taylor at Michael@clda.org or (703) 623-8995.

“Please contact your governors now,” urged Howard. “The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be and the more likely that the supply chain isbrought to a halt leaving medical providers and consumers in desperate need of critical supplies.”

About the Customized Logistics and Delivery Association

The Customized Logistics and Delivery Association (CLDA) is a non-profit professional association that is the voice of the time-critical logistics, delivery and express air cargo logistics industries. The association serves the needs of its 3,500 members who are logistics professionals, carriers, shippers, drivers, air cargo logistics providers, 3 PLs and vendors servicing today’s supply chain companies. Since 1987, CLDA has provided business opportunities, advocacy and education. For more information see www.clda.org.

Media Contact

Andrea Obston aobston@aomc.com

(860) 803-1155 – cell

KEEP THE SUPPLY CHAIN MOVING AND SAFE – A COVID-19 UPDATE

Dear Shipper and Affiliate Partners:
COVID-19 has placed special demands on all of us in the supply chain. As your critical partners together with carriers and forwarders, CLDA wanted to let you know that our members are using the best practices to keep the supply chain responsive and safe. Here is some advice from our members to protect the supply chain and the health of those receiving deliveries:

Advice for carriers and forwarders:

Establish visitor health screening forms at your gates that include health status and symptoms.
Provide the option of no-contact delivery and confirmations
Equip every delivery vehicle with supplies for drivers that include gloves and hand sanitizers

Advice to drivers:

Start your delivery day by spraying the interior passenger space of the vehicle with a disinfectant following the product guidelines
Avoid using driver lounges or accepting food or drink hospitality at stops
Avoid shaking hands or personally contact anyone and stay six feet or more away from others whenever possible
Ask about illness in the home or at the dock before scheduling a delivery and as you arrive. For those who confirm illness, request a call-back when the person has been symptom-free for two weeks
Avoid delivering to any destination where you see a sick person inside. Return to your vehicle and call for a reschedule on the delivery.
Use paper signatures and pictures only for the POD to avoid passing a hand-held device between yourself and the customer
Avoid accepting a package for delivery from the shipping party’s hand. Ask the shipping party to place the package(s) on a surface from which you can physically pick up
Deliver packages to the customer by leaving them on a desk or other surface instead of hand-to-hand contact
Limit contact with all individuals by practicing social distancing while in the process of making a pickup or delivery by remaining at least six feet away
Ask for the person’s name who just received the shipment or package and enter it yourself into your phone or hard copy manifest book
Place any required Bill of Lading on a surface, allowing the consignee to sign in the appropriate places. When they are completed, request that they step away from the document, retrieve it and place it on the back of your clipboard
Use hand sanitizers once back in the vehicle and before departing for the next stop
Contact your dispatcher if you begin to feel sick immediately to make plans for others to complete your deliveries and then report to medical professionals
Spray the interior passenger space of the vehicle with a disinfectant following the product guidelines at the end of the day.

In addition, we urge you to use caution in the words you use with customers and staff to avoid spreading undue concern about this virus. Here is a blog post from the CLDA Director of Public Relations, Andrea Obston, with some advice on how to phrase any messages you put out.

We encourage CLDA Members to offer their services to local EMS officials and local Departments of Public Health to assist them in their response. CLDA Government Affairs Director Michael Taylor is working with Prime Policy Group to send a letter of assistance to the state EMS officials that we will also share with membership. Further, Congress just passed the second of what will be three emergency spending packages to combat the spread of the virus.

Thank you for your continuing role as a critical part of the supply chain, especially at this challenging time. If anyone has questions please email them to info@clda.org and look for further updates on the app, our website and our social media.

Steve Howard

Steve Howard

President

CLDA

Covid-19 Update

COVID-19 is impacting the supply chain and U.S. economy. Given how critical your work in the final mile is, and with with the numerous inquiries from shippers, carriers and their updates on travel and meetings, we wanted to share some advice as well as current information with you.

The following practices are prudent in the face of the spreading of the virus and we urge you to share them with your staff, employees, logistics partners and customers. In addition, please share your advice on precautions you are putting in place for your staff and customers through the CLDA app and check our website and our social media for additional information. You can download the app through iPhone’s App store or Google Play by searching for CLDA.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends these preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.

CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
Face masks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a healthcare facility).

-Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

Some companies have created a visitor health screening form to document those entering their gates and property that includes health status and symptoms.

Your work is especially critical at this time and many people, especially though at high risk, have decided to stay home and get their goods delivered. This will put an additional burden on your companies to respond, but flexibility and responsiveness are what every one of our members delivers on a daily basis, so we’re confident you can meet the challenge.

We encourage CLDA Members to offer their services to local EMS officials and local Departments of Public Health to assist them in their response. CLDA Government Affairs Director Michael Taylor is working with Prime Policy Group to send a letter of assistance to the state EMS officials that we will also share with membership. Further, the President signed an $8 billion emergency spending package to combat the spread of the virus.

Sample EMS Letter
Contact Information for EMS Directors

CLDA PRESS RELEASES

Customer Service Tips from Dennis Snow, formerly with the Walt Disney World Company, Featured at CLDA Final Mile Forum in February

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 21, 2019 – “Delivering World-Class Customer Service: Lessons from The Mouse” will be the keynote presentation at the CLDA’s second Final Mile Forum & Expo February 19-21, 2020. The three-day expo and educational forum will be held at the Hyatt Regency Miami Sheraton Grande.

Dennis Snow will be the keynote speaker. He spent two decades with the Walt Disney World Company and is now a speaker, trainer, consultant and author who helps organizations achieve goals related to customer service, employee development and leadership. “Customers have more choices than ever, with the result that most products and services are increasingly seen as commodities,” he says. “So, in today’s market, what can an organization do to stand out from the crowd? Differentiating your service is the key to attracting and retaining customers – while driving bottom line results.”

Based on his 20-years with the Walt Disney World Company along with many years of consulting with organizations around the world, Dennis Snow will provide Final Mile Forum participants with a “how-to” program for creating a service-driven culture. This program will provide strategic tools that conference participants can use to raise the bar of service throughout their organizations.

Those who attend the Final Mile Forum will learn:

Approaches that help employees move from a task mindset to an experience mindset.
A process for ensuring that organization’s “backstage” environment never impacts the “onstage” customer experience.
Four specific strategies for wowing customers every time.

Dennis launched a division of the Disney Institute responsible for consulting with some of the world’s largest companies including ExxonMobil, AT&T, General Motors and Coca Cola. During this time, he presented to audiences in diverse locations around the world, such as South Africa, Australia, Mexico, England and Argentina. This division quickly became the fastest growing venture of the Disney Institute and experienced repeat business of nearly 100 percent.

He also spent several years with the Disney University, teaching corporate philosophy and business practices to cast members and the leadership team. While there, he coordinated the Disney Traditions program, which is universally recognized as a benchmark in corporate training. In his last year with Walt Disney World, Dennis’ leadership performance was ranked in the top three percent of the company’s leadership team.

The Final Mile Forum’s three-day agenda is designed to give leaders in the time-critical logistics, delivery and express air cargo logistics industries a front row seat on current trends and previews of the future in the supply chain. Along with the educational presentations and exhibits, the Forum will feature opportunities for business development and one-on-one networking. Participants will come away with tips on enhancing company performance with new concepts as well as new contacts with shippers and others in the final mile industry.

Registration is now open through clda.org. A discount rate is available for current CLDA members renewing for 2020. There are opportunities for sponsorship and exhibitors. Discounts are also available to members and those who join the CLDA when they register. For more information, go to clda.org.

Media Contact

Andrea Obston aobston@aomc.com

(860) 243-1447 – office

(860) 803-1155 – cell

The CLDA Final Mile Forum & Expo Moves to February

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 16, 2019 – The CLDA Final Mile Forum & Expo will kick off the trade show season with a move to February 19-21, 2020. The three-day expo and educational forum will be held at the Hyatt Regency Miami Sheraton Grande at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, AZ.

“The CLDA Final Mile Forum is more than just about education and networking. It is about meeting new people in the industry and creating long lasting relationships with like-minded individuals, sharing knowledge and experience, and making life- long connections,” says the meeting’s co-chair Thomas Jowers, Chief Operating Office, ADL Delivery. Julie Thomas, President of Priority Logistics Group co-chairs the event with Jowers.

The forward-looking agenda will give leaders in the industry a front row seat on current trends and previews of the future in the supply chain. Along with the educational presentations and exhibits, the three days will feature opportunities for business development and one-on-one networking. Participants will come away with tips on enhancing company performance with new concepts as well as new contacts with shippers and other in the final mile industry.

Registration will open on Oct. 21. A discount rate is available for current CLDA members renewing for 2020. There are opportunities for sponsorship and exhibitors. Discounts are also available to members and those who join the CLDA when they register. For more information, email info@clida.org.

About the Customized Logistics and Delivery Association

The Customized Logistics and Delivery Association (CLDA) is a non-profit professional association that is the voice of the last-mile, time-critical logistics and delivery industries. The association serves the needs of its 3,500 members who are logistics professionals, carriers, shippers, drivers and 3 PLS. Since 1987, CLDA has provided business opportunities, advocacy and education for those involved with the time-critical and last-mile customized delivery industry. For more information see www.clda.org.

Media Contact

Andrea Obston aobston@aomc.com

(860) 243-1447 – office

(860) 803-1155 – cell