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8 • May 1-14, 2020 Nation Truckers, other essential workers must wear protective face covering when entering Canada THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES TORONTO — Essential workers must wear a protective face covering when crossing the border from the United States to Canada, according to a notice released in mid-April by the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA). The release states that the CTA has been informed by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) that the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is directing the agency, effective immediately, to implement a policy requiring all essential workers crossing the border to wear a nonmedical mask or face covering and to provide drivers with a mask should they not have one. In a conversation with a spokesperson for CBSA, CTA was told that no drivers will be turned away from entering Canada as a result of this policy and that the border-services agency will attempt to provide drivers with a mask should they not have one. Health Canada offers guidance regarding nonmedical face coverings. Because nonmedical masks offer limited protection, the agency offers the following and other notations. Wearing a nonmedical mask is an additional measure you can take to protect others around you (in situations where physical distancing is difficult to maintain given recent evidence related to transmission from persons who are presymptomatic or have no symptoms). AP Photo/David Zalubowski Truck driver Camilo Diaz of Miami wears a mask after parking his rig at the Flying J Truck Stop. American truck drivers are now required to wear face coverings when entering Canada. Wearing a nonmedical mask is another way to cover your mouth and nose to prevent your respiratory droplets from contaminating others or landing on surfaces. Just like our recommendation not to cough into your hands (instead, cover your cough with tissues or your sleeve) a mask can reduce the chance that others are coming into contact with your respiratory droplets. If you choose to use a nonmedical face mask: 1) You must wash your hands immediately before putting it on and immediately after taking it off (in addition to practicing good hand hygiene while wearing it); 2) It should fit well (non-gaping); and 3) You should not share it with others. 8 THETRUCKER.COM Courtesy: Arizona Department of Transportation The Arizona Department of Transportation has temporarily opened two rest stops to accommodate trucks only during the COVID-19 pandemic. Arizona reopens two rest areas for trucks THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation has temporarily reopened two long-shuttered northern Arizona rest areas to support truckers hauling essentials during the current public health situation. The Parks Rest Area along Interstate 40 west of Flagstaff (milepost 182) and the Christensen Rest Area on Interstate 17 south of Flagstaff (milepost 324) offer parking, portable toilets and hand-washing stations exclusively for commercial-vehicle drivers. “Long-haul truckers are working tirelessly to support our nation during this difficult time, and we will do all we can to support them,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Opening these temporary rest stops provides a place for drivers to get the rest they need as they help all of us.” ADOT crews have restriped the parking lots of both rest areas. Portable toilets and hand-washing stations have been brought in, as well as trash bins. There will be staff at the rest areas for a few hours every day. The Parks and Christensen rest areas are only available to commercial vehicles. Other ADOT rest areas remain open for all travelers, with staff following enhanced sanitation protocols, including regularly wiping down frequently touched surfaces. When additional services became available in and around Flagstaff, and along I-40 and I-17, Christensen closed in 2002, and Parks closed in 2009. There are no plans to reopen either rest area permanently. 8 b Thanks from page 1 b describing them as “the foot soldiers who are really carrying us to victory” in the battle against the coronavirus. “From the moment the invisible enemy landed on our shores, America’s 3.5 million truckers have never wavered at all, and they have never let us down,” he said. “I know I speak for the 330 million-plus Americans when we say, ‘Thank God for truckers.’” When called to the podium by Trump, Chao also praised the trucking industry. “The whole country is cheering you on,” she said. “Without you, it would be impossible to keep our economy moving and get food, medical equipment and essential supplies to where they need to be.” She assured members of the industry that the Department of Transportation is listening to the concerns of industry members and working to provide regulatory relief and ensure that drivers have access to food, rest stops and other amenities. During the event, four drivers shared experiences and praised their fellow industry members. Trump presented each driver with a ceremonial key in recognition of their contributions. Trump and Chao also presented a key to American Trucking Association’s President Chris Spear at the close of the event. Charlton Paul, a driver for UPS Freight and a leader in New York Teamsters Local #707 who drives a 606-mile route between New York and Pennsylvania each day, described hauling barrels of hand sanitizer, adding that some of his colleagues are tasked with delivering hand sanitizer to the New York City Police Department. “I’ve been with UPS for nearly 25 years. Growing up, the only thing I wanted to do was sit behind the wheel of one of these massive trucks,” he said. “It’s an honor in having a role in part of fighting this coronavirus. I’m also honored to be here representing more than 495,000 UPS workers worldwide (who) get essential supplies to our front-line health care and emergency responders every day.” Dylan Madigan, a driver for DHL Express who delivers personal protective equipment in New Jersey, said he is proud to provide service to first responders and health care workers. “For myself and my colleagues at DHL Express, who are picking up and delivering essential shipments every day, we are on the front lines,” he said. “But we also know that our true heroes are the medical professionals who are battling to save thousands of precious lives each day. It is an honor to serve them.” Steven Richardson, who has nearly 30 years of experience in trucking and has driven for Big G Express of Shelbyville, Tennessee, for nearly 20 years, gave a shout-out to Jack Daniel’s Distillery of Lynchburg, Tennessee. “They make some of the greatest Tennessee whiskey, if I could say. I’ve had a few swigs here and there,” he said amid chuckles from the assembled group. “But now that we’re in this time of a pandemic, Jack Daniel’s has switched over to making hand sanitizer.” Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian President Donald J. Trump presents truck driver Stephen Richardson with a commemorative key on the South Lawn of the White House during an event recognizing the efforts of truck drivers during the COVID-19 crisis. Richardson also expressed gratitude to other drivers, both men and women, throughout the country. “I hope that, if you pass a trucker out there on the road, if you get a chance, say thank you,” he said. Tina Peterson is an owner-operator who is leased to FedEx Ground. Along with her husband, also a driver, she makes 10 round-trip hauls each month from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Dallas, a trip of nearly 1,000 miles each way. She related stories of the appreciation drivers have seen from the public during the crisis. “My husband Dave and I have had a family give us a meal out of the back of their pickup truck at a rest area. We’ve received thumbs-up from motorists on the highways and have seen people standing on overpasses waving American flags to the passing trucks,” she said. She also mentioned the experiences of FedEx’s last-mile drivers. “The delivery drivers bringing packages to doors have been sharing photos of thank-you letters, notes, cards and sidewalk chalk messages telling us, ‘Thank you for still working,’ thanking drivers for delivering what their families need right now.” In his closing remarks, Trump noted some of the steps the federal government has taken to help ensure truck drivers remain “safe, fed and on the road” — such as lifting hoursof-service regulations in some instances, helping to keep rest areas open and easing commercial driver licensing requirements in other cases. In addition, he said, Congress is seeking additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. “Truckers are playing a critical role in vanquishing the virus, and they will be just as important as we work to get our economic engines roaring,” he said. “With the same spirit of faith and grit and abiding patriotism that defines everything they do, we know our truckers will never let us down. They’re very exceptional people,” he continued. “And so I say, God bless our great truckers. God bless every worker who is serving our nation in this time of need. God bless all who are sick. And God bless America.” 8
THETRUCKER.COM Nation May 1-14, 2020 • 9 Virginia weigh stations temporarily converted to rest areas for commercial drivers THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES RICHMOND, Va. — While all 13 Virginia weigh stations are temporarily closed, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is offering weigh stations as additional rest areas to accommodate the increased number of commercial drivers working to deliver food and supplies during the COVID-19 crisis. “The trucking industry is a vital link in our country’s supply chain,” said Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine. “During these unprecedented times, we are especially grateful to these men and women serving on the front lines, and we are proud to help in any way we can.” The DMV is offering the use of 246 truckparking spaces at 10 weigh stations across the commonwealth as rest parking for commercial drivers. The spaces are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until further notice. To make truckers aware of the service, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is partnering with the DMV to utilize portable changeable message signs advertising the availability of truck parking. Weigh stations that are currently open as rest areas for commercial drivers include: • Alberta (I-81, mile marker 22); • Bland (I-77, mile marker 52); • Carson (I-95, mile marker 39); • Dumfries (I-95, mile marker 154); • Middletown (Rt. 11, across from the I-81 weigh station); • New Church (Rt. 13, 2 miles south of the Maryland state line); • Sandston (I-64, mile marker 203); • Stephen City (I-81, mile marker 304); • Suffolk (Rt. 58, 1 mile west of the Chesapeake city line); and • Troutville (I-81, mile marker 149). “We recognize that these are unusual iStock Photo While Virginia’s weigh stations are closed, the state’s department of motor vehicles is allowing the stations to be used as rest areas. times for tractor-trailer drivers hauling goods in Virginia and across the nation with the industry working around the clock to deliver food and emergency supplies to those who desperately need them,” said DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb. “We applaud their efforts and are proud to offer a place of refuge in this critical time.” 8 b Protest from page 1 b flat $2. Refrigerated dropped by 20 cents per mile to an average of $1.99 per mile. Rates for all three modes will likely continue falling for the remainder of the month. However, rates are only one part of the data to be considered. In the van market, for example, the load-to-truck ratio was 0.9. Anything below 1.0 means there are fewer loads on the DAT load boards than there are trucks. Good loads are taken up almost as quickly as they are posted, leaving the loads with less-thanaverage rates to pick from. It’s no secret that near-record buying of Class 8 trucks in late 2018 and early 2019 resulted in an overcapacity situation in the freight market. Throw in crashing oil prices, which actually traded at less than zero at one point, and the shutdown of oil fields, and the result is a large number of trucks looking for other freight to haul. Shut down shipping from the largest U.S. trading partner, China, and another group of truckers is looking for new freight. To all of this, add the closing of businesses all over the U.S. and the loss of freight those businesses would normally generate. Large carriers are scrambling to keep trucks moving and to keep drivers busy so they don’t leave. Many carriers are hitting the spot market more than usual for loads to supplement those from their own customer base. It all adds up to not enough freight to go around. Accusations of broker malfeasance are commonplace, but whether those claims have substance is sometimes questionable. Undoubtedly there are brokers who take advantage of their trucker clients, but brokerages are watching their revenue dwindle, too, as shippers refuse to pay more in a market where supply exceeds demand. In the case of the Houston protest, claims were made that brokers weren’t paying owneroperators, but it wasn’t clear whether that meant some were not paying at all for loads hauled or they were simply offering lower rates than they did prior to the COVID-19 restrictions. Acevedo announced that the department will look into allegations of fraud by brokers, but he was also clear that truckers who participate in further obstruction will have their equipment impounded. Additionally, Acevedo urged the drivers to work with the police department to find other locations for them to exercise their First Amendment right to protest. “Theft of wages is inexcusable and a criminal offense,” the department tweeted following the event, noting that the department will be “initiating a criminal investigation into allegations of widespread theft of wages. We won’t tolerate exploitation of hard-working people, or unlawfully impeding the movement of traffic.” In the meantime, owner-operator Amet Borrego has organized a GoFundMe account in an attempt to raise $15,000 for Stephany Ramirez, another owner-operator who was charged with inciting a riot and obstructing traffic as a result of the protest. A DAT press release dated April 20 states that the last two weeks of April and first two weeks of May will be “crucial for small carriers and independent operators.” The release cautions of a significant impact to agricultural and food supply chains if rates become or remain too low to operate or even if trucking businesses don’t financially survive. Ken Adamo, chief of analytics at DAT, warned of continued rate declines in an earlier interview with The Trucker, saying, “I’m starting to think we’ll see a steep drop-off.” Adamo encouraged owner-operators to be as knowledgeable as possible and to use technology, such as DAT load boards, to make sure they’re getting the latest information. Add to this some standard business advice: Accounting for every penny and making sound decisions becomes more critical in a tough market. In the meantime, expect more grumbling — and possibly more protests — as independent truckers struggle to keep their businesses afloat in tough economic times. Truckers will continue to serve in the COVID-19 era, but will they survive economically? Time will tell. Editor’s Note: For the full article and interview with Ken Adamo, chief of analytics at DAT, see page 17. 8 A C C E S S O R I E S Shop 24/7 Online @ BigRigTruck.com “We’re With you for the long haul” 2 locations to serve you: 23188 Hwy 6 Gretna, NE 68028 402-332-4833 Gen3k APU SPECS • Engine: Kubota Two Cylinder Liquid Cooled Diesel Liquid • 14.5 BHP at 3200 RPM • Generator: 6KW McMilian Generator • Alternator: 60 Amp Alternator • Starter: 9 Tooth Starter for Easier Cold Weather Starts • Dimensions: 18” x 27” x 22.25” Late-modeL RigmasteR Lg Units with KohLeR engines avaiLabLe • $2,500 with invertor and Wabasto heater (+ tax & installation) • $2,200 without invertor and Wabasto heater (+ tax & installation) • Financing available • Model: LG 200-K *Big Rig Truck Accessories does not sell “used - as is” APU’s. Our used APU’s have been reconditioned. RESERVE YOURS TODAY...….. 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