Trucking and Coronavirus: What's the Status?

Trucking and Coronavirus: The Journey Continues

With the United States still in the throes of the Coronavirus pandemic, the trucking industry continues to experience ups, downs, unexpected route and delivery changes, and a global economy that's wobbly at best.

America's 3.5 million professional truck drivers and 8 million trucking employees continue to work hard on the front lines of the virus, and with COVID-19 not showing signs of stopping anytime soon, here's a quick snapshot of what trucking looks like right now during the pandemic.

What the Supply Chain Looks Like

The supply chain is one thing that's seen the most change in our industry this year. With the spread of the virus affecting shipments from overseas, many supply chains have been turned completely on their heads as truckers race to find and quickly deliver goods where they're needed most.

Although manufacturing and shipping in China and other countries is reported to be back to normal, as of October 2020 the U.S. is still experiencing declined demand and potential delays at ports and warehouses. In better news, it looks like spot freight loads and rates are on the rise after dropping drastically back in April and May.

What Life On the Road Looks Like

Part of being a trucker is being able to live and work through unexpected conditions, but Coronavirus has given many truckers a run for their money. Between shuttered truck stops, closed restaurants, and limited hotel and food options coupled with working longer hours, days and sometimes weeks away from home, life on the road has been especially tough for the first part of the year.

What's open and what isn't is still up in the air depending on how each state is recovering and what restrictions are still in place, but the awareness of how important truckers are right now has rallied many cities to make sure truckers have access to hot, home-cooked meals. Always ready to adapt, many truckers have also started exploring slow cooker recipes, alternative exercise options, and better sleeping situations inside their cabs to accommodate their needs.

Have There Been Regulations Updates?

Another area of constant disruption for truckers this year has been with Hours of Service (HOS) and other regulations. The HOS were relaxed for drivers who qualified as providing direct COVID-19 assistance, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released multiple extensions of the other regulatory relief for those drivers based on the status of the national emergency declaration put in place by the government.

As far as HOS go, the FMCSA revised four key areas to grant more flexibility to drivers without compromising their safety. Here's what that looks like:

• Short-haul Exception: 150 air-miles and a 14-hour work shift as part of the exception


• Adverse Driving Conditions Exception: The driving window has been expanded by up to 2 additional hours


• 30-Minute Break Requirement: At least 30 consecutive minutes after 8 cumulative hours of driving time as opposed to on-duty time. Allows an on-duty/not driving period to qualify as the required break.


• Sleeper Berth Provision. Allows drivers to meet the 10-hour minimum off-duty requirement by spending at least 7 of those hours in the sleeping berth combined with a minimum off-duty period of at least 2 hours either spent inside or outside the berth, as long as the two periods total at least 10 hours. When used together as outlined, neither will qualify against the 14-hour driving window.

Since the national emergency declaration is still in place by the president, the FMCSA also announced that it would be extending the other regulatory exceptions to qualifying drivers through the end of 2020.

Health Support For Truckers on the Road

Truckers being on the front lines doesn't just have to do with hauling medical and grocery goods back and forth. Part of the job also includes doing in-person business, risking the health of truckers at multiple points. The country as a whole has been working to make its processes as contact-less as possible, but coming into contact with potentially infected cargo surfaces and the nature of the business itself still bring awareness to the fact that we need to take care of the men and women behind the wheel.

With many hospitals and medical clinics now offering telehealth sessions, and drive-thru COVID-19 testing being amped up in several areas with faster results, options to help truckers stay safe and healthy on the road are slowly increasing, but it's going to be a good idea to keep fresh masks and hand sanitizer in large supply.

Still in This Fight Together

With so much still being thrown at the trucking industry as we continue to ride out Coronavirus together, it's good to know what companies you can count on. Our distribution centers are running on full and normal operations, and we've got a full haul of heavy-duty everything (as well as light and medium-duty) to keep your truck or fleet up and running so you can focus on what's important – the journey ahead.