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Truckers are one of the key reasons we enjoy all the food, goods and services we have in this country. Right now, with all the issues, panic, and confusion over this Wuhan Chinese Virus, it is the truckers who are keeping this country together.
As I was out late this morning lending a hand on behalf of some families in dire straits due to all the closers, I noticed something. The sheer number of semi trucks, cargo trucks, and delivery vans. All hard at work in the midst of this craziness doing their best to deliver goods, services, and food to where it is needed.
““The movement of freight is such a basic part of our economy, try to imagine a day without freight moving,” Kearney said. “As businesses shut down … or [business is reduced], that reduces the freight requirement. But people are still eating, they’re just eating at home.”
Fielkow told FOX Business he doesn’t see the “tremendous demand for truckers to restock the shelves” at grocery stores and pharmacies letting up any time soon.”
No, I don’t see it letting up anytime soon either. These truck drivers from the semis to the delivery drivers are key to getting food to the grocery stores, medicines to the hospitals and pharmacies, and fuel to the gas stations, and so much more. Everything you have in your office or home was literally brought to you by a trucker of some kind.
But here’s the thing. Truckers, especially those on long hauls around the U.S. have run into significant problems in the last week.
Pennsylvania, not only shut down the state, they shut down all the rest stops for truckers. What that meant is, if a trucker needed to stop and SLEEP before continuing on, they couldn’t. Which puts them as well as anyone else on the road in danger.
And what about getting food? If truck stops w/restaurants are shut down, where can the truckers go to get food in order to continue moving down the road? What about being able to use the bathroom at a place that they are DELIVERING product to??
This thread by a trucker outlines the situation in great detail. Here are a few highlights.
TRUCKERS NEED YOUR HELP
I don't know how else to get our industry help. I'm concerned and feel disappointed, discouraged, and disrespected. We are breaking our balls to supply Americans during this crisis my location has quarantined us completely from the entire facility….
— Big Red (@ckepner18951) March 18, 2020
If any of us are sick, we would stay home, this is the Job we do, and we do it well, Help US stay safe.
Folks were asking about food, I am a local guy, I pack my food, OTR guys. Can use Apps at restaurants to order and pay, spoke with burger king, and mcdonalds yesterday.
— Big Red (@ckepner18951) March 19, 2020
Many local police departments are willing to assist us, seen many posts on Facebook offering to take drivers to stores for food.
Many of you do not understand the lack of legal parking in the north east. This area is where 40% of Americans live.. it's busy, crowded, and crazy
— Big Red (@ckepner18951) March 19, 2020
There is much much more at the link above. Keep in mind, Big Red delivers in the Northeast. Such as New York. The city itself is getting hit hard by Coronavirus. But the hospitals and grocery stores need medical supplies, medications, equipment, food and groceries. The truckers and delivery guys are the ones who are bringing that in. Throwing roadblocks in their way by doing stuff such as shutting down rest stops across the U.S. is a detriment to us all, especially those stricken with this flu virus
What if a truck, loaded with food, medicines, or even toilet paper breaks down?
“Vehicle supply and repair facilities provide services “essential to maintaining critical operations and the flow of commerce,” said the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association, which argued in a statement issued Tuesday that gas stations, vehicle repair facilities, and service stations should be designated an “essential service” by state and local government officials.”
They absolutely should be. Right now it is the truckers and delivery drivers, along with the airlines and railroads, that are keeping this country afloat. Check out #ConvoyUSA on Twitter to learn more from truckers themselves.
Meanwhile, something else to consider during all of this. QUIT PANIC BUYING! As truckers are showing through social media, there aren’t shortages such as people think there are. Instead, the panic buying has led folks to assume there are shortages, when that’s not the case.
Truckers know exactly how critical their job is. It is up to us and especially the federal government to work out a system that will allow the trucking industry to continue to be part of the solution.
To all the truckers out there! Thank you for everything you are doing to help keep this Republic afloat.
Roll on eighteen wheeler. Roll On!
Feature Photo Credit: Carolyn Franks royalty free stock photo via Shutterstock, cropped and modified
MortMain says: That’s only because we don’t have any decent freight railroads.
njc says: Our railroads carry enormous amounts of freight, 24 hours a day. But they don’t have the flexibility of trucks, nor do you have–or want–a railroad track behind every supermarket. Most rail serves heavy industry, carrying ore, chemicals, fuel, auto bodies, truck frames, etc. These have long lead times and can be moved slowly, providing the railroads with their famous fuel efficiency.
NYC is a freight rail island. The only direct access is a ferry that can handle at most four cars at once. The indirect access is a Hudson crossing at Selkirk, near Albany, which connects to the Bronx and to the rest of the city via the Hell Gate Bridge. For twenty years, railroads and public officials have been pushing for a freight rail tunnel across the Hudson. But nobody wants the trains in their neighborhoods, or the transfer stations to move containers between railcar and truck. And so the Selkirk Hurdle remains.
For things that cannot be scheduled in advance and are delivered in smaller quantities, trucks just work better. They are more flexible and not dependent on a very few tracks.
James Raclawski says: WHAT are decent “freight railroads” ?! got to do with the logistics’ “final mile”? truckers of all weight-load-size move EVERYTHING from railhead to distribution center to your local store. they don’t roll… you starve fast (or get visited by roving bands of thugs looking to take part of your t-p hoard…)
David says: We do have ‘decent freight railroads’. BNSF can move a train from Los Angeles to Chicago in two days – 48 hours.
Yeah, nowadays trucks are heavily involved even in long distance movements but it was not always so. Almost all cross country freight moved during WW2 moved by rail. Since then we have invested billions in the construction of the infrastructure that made the revival of First Century transportation possible.
Think of it all in these terms: Trucks are the capillaries but railroads are the arteries. And without our railroads there would be a lot less of everything for trucks to deliver.
[…] with the sense of a nematode knows that during the Covid-19 scandemic, truck drivers have kept us all fed and clothed. Truckers are not known to gather in large groups breathing their […]
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