HR in Peak Season: A Practical Plan for Backup Drivers and Burnout

Peak heating season places sustained pressure on propane delivery operations, and staffing is often where those pressures surface first. Demand rises quickly, extreme weather disrupts routes, and customers expect reliable service regardless of conditions. At the same time, driver availability remains tight, and compliance requirements limit how much flexibility dispatch teams truly have. Without a realistic HR plan for backup drivers and fatigue management, even strong operations can face missed deliveries, safety incidents, and regulatory risk. Peak season staffing is not just an operational issue. It directly affects employee well-being, customer confidence, and the financial stability of the business.

Driver Availability Meets Compliance Reality
Commercial driver shortages continue to affect the propane sector, especially during winter. Federal hours-of-service (HOS) rules enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are designed to reduce fatigue-related accidents, but they also constrain scheduling options during cold snaps. When routes run longer due to weather or terminal delays, drivers can reach legal limits faster than expected. Many companies underestimate how quickly compliance limits can impact delivery capacity during peak demand weeks.

Burnout as a Safety and Retention Risk
Burnout during peak season goes beyond long hours. Winter driving stress, emergency callouts, time away from family, and constant schedule changes all contribute. Studies across various transportation sectors show fatigue increases accident risk and accelerates turnover. From a financial standpoint, losing an experienced driver mid-season is costly. Recruiting, onboarding, training, and certification can take months, while service quality suffers in the meantime. Treating burnout as a safety and retention issue, not just a morale problem, helps HR and operations align on prevention rather than reaction.

Evolving Staffing Models in the Industry
To manage these pressures, many propane companies are adopting more flexible staffing strategies. Cross-training service technicians who already hold CDLs, maintaining relationships with seasonal or semi-retired drivers, and pre-arranging overflow support with regional carriers are becoming more common. Any backup plan must include proper training, documentation, and clear role definitions to stay compliant during high-demand periods.

Practical Steps You Can Apply Now
Begin by identifying potential backup drivers right away and verifying that licenses, medical cards, and training records are current. Develop winter schedules that assume delays rather than ideal conditions, allowing margin for poor weather and terminal congestion. Rotate demanding routes to distribute workload more evenly across your team and to reduce cumulative fatigue. Finally, set clear expectations with customers about delivery timing during extreme weather, which eases pressure on dispatch and drivers alike.

Building a Resilient Peak Season Workforce
Peak season staffing challenges are unlikely to disappear, but they can be managed more effectively. Companies that integrate HR planning into operational strategy are better positioned to protect safety, maintain compliance, and retain skilled drivers. By planning for backup coverage and actively addressing burnout, propane businesses can sustain delivery performance during the most demanding months while strengthening their workforce for the seasons ahead.