As temperatures dip everywhere for fall and we begin our shift into the cooler months, it comes with other cautious moments besides the usual weather and road conditions of late fall and winter. This time of year also marks the beginning of cold and flu season! Nowhere is this more prevalent to me than when I am inside a warehouse checking in and see people with red eyes, runny noses, and tissue boxes at the ready. Keeping the germs away and your health in top shape can be as simple as adding a few simple steps into your routine.
We have gloves to protect our hands when working around the truck and trailer, so why not a few extra minutes during the day to protect them when we are in the germ infested shipping and receiving area. You know the ones I am talking about…the ones you’re even afraid to rest against the wall at! Even the cleanest waiting areas are still prone to germs on things such as doorknobs, communal writing pens that are usually secured to the counter, and snack vending machines. Not to mention the airborne germs and viruses waiting to invade through you necessity to breathe air to survive. No, I swear I am not a “germaphobe”! I do however like to prevent downtime from being sick if at all possible. Not working due to illness is a sort of double-edged sword, so-to-speak. Not only are you losing money from not working, but it usually will cost you additional money as well if a trip to the physician is necessary. A preventative trip to the physician may be helpful instead in order to get a flu shot, which may protect you from certain strains of influenza.
Three simple and easy things to do in order to minimize your risk of getting a cold or the flu are to wash your hands, sanitize whenever possible, and filter the air you suspect is contaminated. The first two are habits that need to be built into your daily routine, as where the third takes a little bit of judgment, unless you like wearing a hospital breathing mask all the time! During this time of year especially, I make it a point to wash my hands whenever a 
customer has a facility available to do so. I figure that the more I wash, the fewer germs I can have on my hands. I am not one for a lot of harsh chemical soaps, so I actually have my own all-natural anti-bacterial soap. Throughout the day, especially when wash facilities are not available, I use an all-natural foaming hand sanitizer to further battle the germs I pick up. If you suspect someone of being sick 
that you are dealing with, (e.g. coughing, sneezing, blowing their nose, etc.) be sure to carry a simple hospital germ mask to wear when you are in close proximity to them. It may look weird, but think of how much weirder you will look when your eyes are all puffy and you’re nose is running like a leaky faucet because you didn’t take precautionary measures!
If you are unfortunate enough to come down with a cold or the flu, be cautious about rules for using and carrying medication on a commercial motor vehicle. Most companies have policies of approval for over-the-counter medications of any kind and prescription medications are restricted to the prescribed user only and regulated by the DOT. Some may cause side effects that are not conducive to being behind the wheel of a truck, so choose and monitor what you take very carefully. Your body is 
more easily fatigued when you are sick and can also get dehydrated very fast, so drink plenty of clear fluids and electrolytes. I offer this advice on illness prevention from personal experience of course, being that my Christmas/New Year’s time off of nine days last year consisted of seven days trying to get rid of the flu! In a world full of over-the-counter cures and old home remedies remember, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!” (Benjamin Franklin).