黑料社区

Article created for the digital issue of the 黑料社区Foundation鈥檚 magazine.

Hurricanes can interrupt business operations and leave travel center and truck stop operators faced with difficult decisions. Business owners have to figure out how to keep fuel tanks full and their operations running as they work to serve their customers or even first responders.

Stop Watch magazine has shared several best practices for keeping customers and employees safe when a natural disaster strikes.

As we are in hurricane season, here are eight hurricane-specific ideas.

Have A Hurricane Operational Checklist Ready (Don鈥檛 worry, we have a sample!)

Michael Sibley, president of , said the location experiences the threat of a hurricane a couple of times a year. 鈥淲hen we learn one is on its way, I send my checklist to my manager. Then we make a point to talk more and more as the storm moves closer,鈥� Sibley said. (Download a sample hurricane checklist here.)

Since LaPlace Travel Center is open 24/7, employees rarely have to lock the doors and set the alarm, Sibley said. Usually, when the location tests things, the locks won鈥檛 work, they can鈥檛 find the keys or don鈥檛 remember the process to set the alarm. 鈥淭hese are the things to check before they are needed,鈥� he said.

Create Documentation of Equipment, Inventory, Parts and Supplies That are Used in Day-To-Day Operations

As a best practice, travel centers should keep documentation of equipment, inventory, parts and supplies that are used in day-to-day operations. It is best to have this written out and saved electronically off-site or in cloud-based storage, according to Federated Insurance, a 黑料社区Chairman鈥檚 Circle member.

In addition, many dealers will also take a video of their entire property to help reproduce memory of the tools, equipment and other inventory they may have forgotten about. This, too, should be stored off-site or in a cloud-based system.

Use These Ideas to Get Your Employees to Work Safely

For operators, one of the biggest weather-related challenges is keeping employees working. If it is very difficult for employees to travel to and from work, this will correlate to not much fuel being sold. If that happens, it can result in incredibly long hours for everyone.

鈥淚t is difficult getting past roadblocks, but they have all improved their plans,鈥� Sibley said. 鈥淥ur Parish has an emergency operation center coordinator that maintains a list of key employees that should be allowed through.鈥�

The coordinator provides a letter that crucial employees can carry with them when they evacuate to use if they are trying to get back to the store, Sibley explained. 鈥淚t would be most helpful for other store owners to reach out to their local governments to find out what their system is,鈥� he said. [See a sample letter here.]

Sibley said employees can be hesitant to travel into work if bad weather is on the horizon. 鈥淪ince we have been hit a few times, now our employees are really 鈥榞un-shy,鈥欌�� he said, adding that overzealous media reports start scaring everyone, even when the storm is a week away. 鈥淥ur employees freak out and start calling off for their shifts.鈥�

Sibley watches the storm鈥檚 path, filters out the media noise, and tries to keep employees focusing on reality and working. 鈥淎s it gets closer, we make decisions about if and when we will close,鈥� he said.

Randy Haines, service center director for Bosselman Enterprises, said there are usually employees who will volunteer for a double shift, and Bosselman鈥檚 will rent nearby lodging for employees. 鈥淲e are always the first to reserve five rooms for our help,鈥� Haines said. 鈥淲e get them motel rooms, so they have a place to shower and sleep.鈥�

Bosselman鈥檚 doesn鈥檛 take any chances with its employees鈥� safety. 鈥淭he liabilities to force somebody to come to work or strongly suggest they get to work are too great,鈥� Haines said.

Bonus (pun intended) idea: LaPlace Travel Center also has an escalating bonus structure for employees who are willing to be there for the last few shifts before the location closes and those who work the first few shifts after a storm.

Ideas for Keeping Tanks Full

Keeping fuel flowing in a natural disaster is critical, particularly as people look to flee a storm or as first responders move in. Some gas supply contracts prohibit dropping unbranded gas into a tank, but it can be helpful to incorporate language into the agreement allowing for exceptions during certain circumstances.

Sibley鈥檚 supplier has electronic access to his tank levels, so he knows when the location needs fuel. 鈥淗e does a great job of taking care of us, plus it is in his contract to never let me run out,鈥� he said.

Sibley has only been unable to get fuel from his supplier once, which happened during Katrina. 鈥淲hen that happened, I called a huge independent supplier, and he brought me a few loads until my supplier was able to get to me. Having those two guys鈥� cell numbers, and their first assistants鈥� as well, is a good thing to know is current,鈥� Sibley said.

Haines said most often retailers can pull fuel from another terminal, but it can increase costs.

Have Backups for Maintaining Communication

Communication is one of the most critical elements when preparing for or responding to a disaster, including a hurricane. You will need to communicate with employees, vendors, customers and local authorities, such as law enforcement and emergency management personnel.

Sibley said his router has backup cellular service for if or when the cable connection goes down.

If phone lines go down at Bosselman鈥檚 locations, the company directs calls to its 24-hour call center, and individual locations can follow up via cell phones.

Consider Generators or Installing Electric Lugs

Sibley has invested in generators to keep the location running in the event of a power outage. 鈥淎fter Katrina, we invested a lot for a huge generator that can run the entire building. It has been useful for a couple of hurricanes since then as well as numerous small storms or random non-storm related power issues. This is a must have,鈥� he said, adding that it is also a bonus for employees without power who like to come to work in the air conditioning.

For many locations, it doesn鈥檛 make economic sense to install generators. However, it does make sense to consider installing electrical lugs for quick connection of a generator in the event you need one. This is a fairly minimal cost when building and designing a new facility.

Bosselman鈥檚 doesn鈥檛 have generators, but Haines said the company can use generators on its service trucks. 鈥淲e鈥檒l use the air compressors and all of the power off of the service trucks when we lose power.鈥�

Providing Support for an Employee

Disasters can also affect company employees even if the location isn’t harmed. 鈥淭his company is just unbelievable as far as doing fundraisers or helping those people who are affected,鈥� Haines said. 鈥淲e had a sales associate in Fort Meyers, Florida, lose everything she owns. We did a fundraiser to get her in a new house.鈥�

Ideas on What to Do if a Loss Does Happen

Federated Insurance recommends closing out the books on the date of the loss and maintaining a separate, accurate record of any sales or operating expenses that continue after the loss. The insurance adjuster will need to verify these expenses as part of the claim process. Operators should also start a physical inventory as soon as possible.

Operators should also maintain accurate records for extra expenses incurred to expedite the resumption of operations. Create a written record of any communications received regarding orders to evacuate, including who ordered the evacuation, the date and the time. Keep records of conversations, pictures of damages and lists of lost items for insurance coverages as disasters are continually evolving situations.

// This article was created for Stop Watch magazine, the magazine of the 黑料社区Foundation. The 黑料社区Foundation is the research, education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, Inc. The 黑料社区Foundation provides programs and products to strengthen travel plazas鈥� ability to meet the traveling public鈥檚 needs through improved operational performance and business planning. Visit www.natsofoundation.org for more information.

黑料社区Foundation

The 黑料社区Foundation is the research, education, and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, Inc. The foundation is completely autonomous and relies solely on donations. The foundation鈥檚 work includes tools for truck stops and travel centers to future-proof their business, educational programs, safety initiatives, and scholarships through the Bill and Carolyn Moon Scholarship. The 黑料社区Foundation is the research, education, and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, Inc. Visit www.natsofoundation.org for more information.

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