COVID-19 and Essential Business
COVID-19 continues to dominate the news. As the illness spreads in Pennsylvania and other states, COVID-19 will also continue to change companies’ approach to business.
Here at Blue Eagle Logistics, we will continue moving the essential freight important to people’s lives. During this countrywide health crisis, our commitment to customers and our community remains intact. However COVID-19 presents the need for changes. Some of these changes will be temporary, and we believe, some will become permanent.
In Pennsylvania, as in other states, many businesses have shut down in order to slow or stop the spread of COVID-19, however, Blue Eagle Logistics is deemed critical infrastructure by the US Department of Homeland Security and the State of Pennsylvania. Therefore, we are operating at full capacity.
The continued presence of COVID-19 requires a different approach to servicing essential businesses safely.
- Blue Eagle Logistics is complying with orders from the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office.
- Members of our team have been educated on all CDC guidelines, and when possible, remote work has been implemented.
- At the same time, several regions in the country, where there lower infection rates, are not yet operating under the same strict restrictions we are operating under in Pennsylvania and the Northeastern United States.
- Even though the logistics industry is considered critical, certain segments of this industry are challenged to keep operating: impacted by high demand, high absenteeism, and lack of remote work capabilities.
Looking ahead–how COVID-19 will affect the way we do business and live our lives.
- Social distancing means that we are receiving “signatures at a distance” for the foreseeable future. What does signature at a distance look like? It means you may have a copy of the paperwork, but you will not touch our mobile device. Instead we will sign for you. From a safe distance, you will spell your name for our driver who will sign for you.
- Inside delivery, in particular white glove residential service, will be curtailed for the next few months. Providers will restrict these deliveries to critical locations such as hospitals, and even in hospitals, service options will have restrictions to protect everyone.
- We expect shipment volatility on a daily basis as bottled up freight surges through the system and delivery companies try to deliver to closed facilities unable to receive shipments.
- Warehouses will encounter congestion from freight delays due to reduced demand, excess supply, closed receivers, and absenteeism caused by illness and/or fear.
- Zoomworld! Our home, church, work, and family lives will be impacted by Zoom video conferencing–a simple tool that allows us to be together. At 8:30 PM each evening, my wife and I now get a Zoom call from our 10-year-old niece, Autumn, online with her Aunt Tam and Aunt Vick. We are enjoying these daily check-ins. And at Blue Eagle, Zoom is an effective tool for our remote team to check in each day. It also provides us with an excellent way to stay connected with business contacts across Pennsylvania.
What can you expect from Blue Eagle Logistics?
- In the past week, we have been moving medical supplies, critical parts, and consumer staples as part of our commitment to keep America functioning.
- Blue Eagle is actively working to support the United States government and our customers in a combined effort to fight COVID-19.
No one knows how long this will last, but here at Blue Eagle Logistics, we are in it for the long haul. If you have any questions about delivery services or what we’re doing to fight COVID-19, please give us a call.