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Tips For Sanitizing Truck Cabs Against COVID-19

Sep. 22 2021 Ownership Tips By Utility Trailer of Washington

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Making sure that your truck cab is free of bacteria and germs is a responsibility that needs to be taken seriously, especially at times like these where COVID continues to be a threat for everyone. The following truck cab cleaning and sanitizing tips come directly from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are provided to you by Utility Trailer of Washington.

If you’re looking to purchase or lease a truck model, be sure to contact us or visit one of our locations. Our inventory includes a diverse variety of trucks that are ready to meet every truck driver’s needs. We proudly serve those from Washington and Anchorage, AK, too.

How To Clean

Use either a recommended and effective cleaning product or hot, soapy water. Some products are known to have a strong formula that can potentially harm your sense of smell, eyes, or skin. Therefore, it is important to check their instructions for proper application. Make sure that the cab has proper ventilation during and after applying these types of products.

What To Clean?

Long story short, clean almost everything. Try to disinfect as many surfaces as possible, especially key components that you come in contact with the most and that are exposed to other passengers.

Some of these surfaces include: 

  • Interior and exterior door handles.
  • The seat belt and buckle.
  • The steering wheel.
  • Driver switches and controls.
  • The gear shift or selector.
  • The arm and headrest.
  • The seat cover.
  • The turn signal.
  • Wiper controls.
  • Temperature controls.

Don’t Wipe Quickly

Also, the cleaning products should have enough contact time with the surfaces, which ranges from one minute to ten minutes, the longer the better. Give it enough time to activate and kill as many viruses and bacteria as possible. After waiting for a while, wipe off completely. Don't forget to throw away any wipes and wash any rags used in this process.

If other individuals access your truck cab, such as other drivers or mechanics, you have two options. Either ask them to disinfect key surfaces before they return the vehicle to you or do the cleaning process yourself.

General Best Practices For Truckers

The nature of your job exposes you to potential COVID carriers, but there are steps you can take to reduce your risk.

  • Wash your hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before entering and leaving the cab.
  • Use paperless invoicing whenever possible.
  • See if you can make appointments for the facilities where you unload cargo, which reduces the time you are there and waiting around.
  • Limit the number of unnecessary stops by packing enough food, water, and supplies.
  • Use radios and phones to communicate with others whenever possible, instead of standing next to each other talking.

We hope you found these tips for cleaning and disinfecting your truck cab helpful. Utility Trailer of Washington cares about your safety and also about offering you the best deals on trailers. Our inventory has an endless array of models that are ready to meet your transportation needs. We proudly serve all of Washington.