Truck Drivers Working on the Front Lines of the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Sam McLaughlin

While many are able to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic, truckers aren’t afforded that luxury and many of the protocols put in place to protect the public are affecting truckers directly. Since March, truckers have been working on the front lines of the pandemic. As truckers come through Four Star Freightliner for service, we have learned from drivers how they are dealing with COVID-19.

Jerry Minor is an owner-operator for Landstar Systems, Inc who stopped at Four Star Freightliner on his way to Houston, TX. When getting serviced at our Montgomery, AL location, Minor described how truck drivers have been directly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. He has lost load after load this month after many food processing plants shut down. Minor plans his deliveries weeks in advance and last minute cancellations make his job even tougher.

Minor hopes that a deeper appreciation for truck drivers will come from this pandemic. He made it clear that like many  Americans, truck drivers cannot work from home. Truck drivers who can’t make deliveries won’t get paid and consumers won’t get supplies. He also wishes that stores would limit the quantity of certain supplies one customer can purchase so everyone can get what they need.

Ronald Hayes, a driver for Southern Refrigerated Transport, has also been affected. Hayes said that his stepdad, niece and her boyfriend contracted the virus and fortunately recovered, making him no stranger to the effects of the virus.  Like all of us, the rules and regulations have become a necessary inconvenience for drivers like Hayes.

Normally, truck drivers can sit down in a truck stop and enjoy a hot meal. Drivers are now forced to take their meals outside of the building to consume the limited options available. Hayes expressed that most restaurants in truck stops have been shut down completely and most places only offer cold sandwiches. He expressed sympathy for other truck drivers who do not have a microwave or hot plate in their cabin. Hayes has the option to heat up a microwavable meal in his truck, but this option is still not the same as a hot dine-in meal. At both weigh stations and rest stops, Hayes has seen locals handing out free sandwiches to truck drivers to show their appreciation. While he enjoys how empty the roads have become, Hayes “Hopes this pandemic will be over soon, as it is has become inconvenient for truckers like him.”

At Four Star Freightliner, we are doing our part to keep drivers like Jerry and Ronald, rolling during this pandemic. They prefer to be on the road as much as possible, but trucks, like any machine, require occasional service. At Four Star Freightliner, we strive to get them moving in a timely manner. Without truckers, people would not be receiving the supplies they need.