This week, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) penned a letter to major grocery store industry members asking for help on behalf of the nation’s truck drivers during the Coronavirus emergency.
On April 14, OOIDA sent the letter to grocery store retailers like Target, Walmart, and Walgreens asking them to assist drivers who are hauling supplies during the COVID-19 crisis by giving them access to essential supplies.
OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh writes:
We are currently receiving several hundred calls daily from drivers who are unable to buy essential supplies to protect themselves from COVID-19. Basic items like paper towels, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes are nearly impossible to find right now. The irony is that truckers are hauling these supplies but they are unable to actually buy them.
We are asking your respective companies to make these essential items available to truck drivers for purchase or through donations. These supplies are the only protections truckers have to defend themselves from COVID-19. It would also be nice if truckers were able to use your rest room facilities when they are delivering freight to your warehouses or retail business locations.
Pugh also points out that if truckers get sick, there will be additional disruption to the supply chain. “Truckers are on the front lines of the supply chain … which is precisely why it is important to support them as much as reasonably possible,” he said.