Fleet Payment Solutions Enhancing Healthcare Management

A Crisis Drives Fleet Payment Technology Toward Healthcare

While the trucking industry is considered to be one of the most important industries in the nation, it is also considered one of the most challenging, and as a result the industry is in crisis. Faced with a shortage of drivers because of a lifestyle that could literally risk their lives, fleet owners and managers are taking a step back to analyze the underlying issues and develop the tools that can be used in addressing healthcare, not the least of which is fleet payment technology in healthcare management.

10 Risks that Fleets and Drivers Face

Professional truck drivers are faced with unique health challenges every time they get behind the wheel. If the challenges are not addressed, they can lead to systemic problems with tragic outcomes.

1. Lack of healthy food options and reduced opportunity for exercise, which has led to a higher rate of obesity within the field.
2. Poorly designed workspaces (truck cabs) causing skeletal and ergonomic injuries.
3. Exposure to hazardous chemicals — diesel exhaust causes a rapid deterioration of the function of blood vessels, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
4. Musculoskeletal injuries (from loading and unloading).
5. Extreme fatigue from long haul schedules.
6. Sleep apnea.
7. Trouble following medicine regimens due to difficulty refilling prescriptions.
8. Depression, loneliness or anxiety stemming from isolation while on the job.
9. Drug and alcohol abuse for all of the reason above.
10. Neglect to health issues because of poor access to health facilities on the road.

While the risks are more than concerning, the good news is that the industry is stepping up to address them. In fact, they are approaching solutions in the same ways they have addressed the complexity of fleet payments. They are looking to digital efficiencies and data to deliver answers that work to give drivers ease in accessing healthcare reimbursement while delivering efficiencies and controls that fleet managers need to manage the process.

Steve Crowley, the chief information officer for EFS parent company WEX, says that system’s software will give fleet managers control in the field while the transition of information from paper to the cloud will save drivers from having to juggle multiple cards and receipts. EFS and WEX solutions are designed to integrate seamlessly into its clients’ business while providing short and long-term efficiencies and savings. The goal is to simplify the complex and improve the customer experience whether that customer is the company or the end user in the driver/employee.

Roadside Healthcare Could Minimize an Epidemic Flu Season

It seems the focus on health is just in time, as this year’s flu epidemic is on record to be the worst in history, spreading across 48 states as of February. The situation is most impactful to the trucking industry as they travel from state to state. And because the flu can affect different regions at different time, it seems there is no escaping it particularly if transportation is your profession. Especially concerning is the higher than normal percentage of fatalities associated with this year’s flu season.

10% of all deaths across the country were attributed to flu and pneumonia, well above this year’s epidemic threshold of 7.3%.

With numbers like these, fleet managers are focusing on preventative ways to combat the potential and encouraging their drivers to get a flu shot. Roadside health and wellness clinics have been established across the country with the intention of meeting the needs of motorists and professional drivers alike. By partnering with Pilot Travel Centers and truck stops, these services can be invaluable particularly during a flu season that we are currently experiencing.

“Our goal is to be a total solution provider for all driver services, and Roadside Medical Clinic + Lab is helping us deliver medical services. The evidence supporting driver health initiatives is too staggering to ignore. Providing drivers with healthy options and access to medical care isn’t just good business, it’s the right thing to do.” — Jimmy Haslam of Pilot Travel Centers

The potential for health and wellness locations at every Pilot Travel Center across the nation is enormous. A mission to provide convenient, cost-effective and professional medical care services, including Department of Transportation (DOT) physicals and compliance, wellness programs, sleep apnea screening, testing and treatment and nutritional products in a convenient location for drivers could be transformative for the industry.

Fleet owners and operators nationwide are now understanding the importance of health in the trucking industry, and that in order to retain drivers and to attract new ones, they need to offer comprehensive healthcare options. Companies like EFS can provide the efficiencies and management of these complex offerings in order for the fleet to stay focused on the work at hand. Fleet payment technology can be just as valuable to drivers as it is to the fleet managers by making healthcare paperwork efficient and easy. And that is just the beginning. As the technology behind fleet payment solutions advance, it is possible we could see the same technology applied to even more fleet healthcare resources. The robust fuel and vehicle maintenance networks that EFS offers today might one day evolve into a health and wellness network. And, the MasterCard Fleet Cards that are currently being used for fuel and non-fuel expenses could also cover medical expenses accepted at a huge network of healthcare centers nationwide — all the while enabling fleet managers to control purchases and use data and analysis tools to run the operation effectively and efficiently.

Resources:

http://www.hni.com/blog/bid/70685/the-health-crisis-in-the-trucking-industry

http://www.businessinsider.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-flu-epidemic-2018-1/#cold-snaps-could-be-to-blame-for-more-flu-too-9

http://www.truckinginfo.com/article/story/2008/07/health-on-the-highway.aspx

https://www.pymnts.com/in-depth/2014/wex-to-drive-healthcare-payments/

http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/tech-driven-roadside-clinics-cater-truckers