The Truck Boss teams discusses the impact hours of service changes are having on drivers, Coach Carolyn on how to stay connecting during social distancing, ATRI survey info and a young man from Kentucky tells us about his mission to feed truckers.
Courtesy: Truck Boss Show
Carlin:
What’s up, bosses. Thanks for checking out this week’s episode. Hope you’re staying safe and healthy out there. Now we’ve got a lot to cover this week, including what drivers think about the hours of service changes, freights steep decline for some drivers, ATRI’s latest survey and how you can help, and how a teen is helping serve drivers during this pandemic. But first, these are stressful times. Add that to the already stressful career you drivers have, and it could be a lot to handle. But there are things you can do to stay healthy, especially mentally. Niki sat down with Coach Carolyn to learn why it’s so important to take care of yourself during this time.
Niki:
People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their thoughts, feelings and behaviors. They are able to cope with life’s changes. They can keep problems into perspective and bounce back from setbacks. Well, our nation is living in that setback now. Your wellbeing and health are the most important things to focus on in this time of distress.
Coach Carolyn:
We’re counting on them so much, and they’ve always been our knight in shining armor. And they know that, and we in the trucking industry know that. But everyone else never did realize that.
Niki:
Professional drivers have always been the backbone of America, and now we’re realizing they are so much more than that. They are indeed our nation’s heart. If you are looking for a community to connect with others in your same situation, Carolyn may have a solution for you.
Coach Carolyn:
We can’t necessarily control what happens in life, but we can control how we respond to it. And that’s where we have the power right there. That’s where every single person, trucking or non-trucking, has the power to make changes in their life according to how they react to the situations that come up. But if you can just slow down and remember to think about that situation first and how to address it. But I have just started a group called Power Driver, just like the power I was talking about a few minutes ago that you have over your physical and emotional health, over choosing how to react or respond to situations. This is a Facebook group. It’s for truck drivers and their immediate family, because the immediate family is affected by the truck driver. I know. I’m that person.
Niki:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Coach Carolyn:
And I want to support them with the struggles and the situations that they have with their physical health, and I also want to support them with the struggles that they’re having inside with their emotional health. Because, when you’re in the cab of a truck, the longer you’re in that cab, the smaller your bubble gets.
Niki:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Coach Carolyn:
And a lot of times it happens and you don’t even notice it’s happening. But the people outside of you notice. Anyone that you know, if you’re not that truck driver, or if you’re not that family, if it’s your uncle, or your cousin, or your dad, your grandpa, whoever, tell them about it. I’m really excited to get this started and create a support group for people wanting to move forward in their life.
Niki:
If you’re out getting gas for your vehicle or on your way to the grocery store and see a trucker, throw a thumbs up and smile their way. They need it now more than ever.
Carlin:
Thanks, Niki. If you’re interested and want to become a part of that community, you can check out Coach Carolyn’s Facebook page, Power Driver. Now let’s head over to join Isela who’s got some driver feedback to the hours of service changes.
Isela:
Gracias, Carlin. With the COVID-19 outbreak, our professional drivers have continued to hit the pavement, risking their lives to make sure the shelves are stocked. But once this is all over, will America feel the same about them? We have a fellow driver who lets America know how he feels, Charles Clayburn.
Charles Clayburn:
Many of the truck drivers know that the FMCSA is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for you, the general public. And what the FMCSA does is they take the direction from the bureaucrats, the very people that we couldn’t trust to handle this pandemic. They give them guidelines and say, you need to make sure that the truck drivers are safe. You need to make sure they’re following certain rules, and these rules are imposed to keep the nation’s highway safe. So one of those rules was the hours of service, or as truck drivers call them, HOS. The hours of service limit us to 70 hours in a workweek, 14 hours a day to work, and 11 hours to drive. During the pandemic, they’ve lifted those restrictions to deliver essential goods and services.
Charles Clayburn:
Now here’s where the rub begins. During this time, these very truck drivers that had been forced to comply with rules that simply do not work. Okay? They impede on our ability to rest. They impede on our ability to stay out of the way during rush hour. They impede on our health and safety. They interfere with our very way of life. They have add added stress. They’ve added a large number of fatalities and deaths in the trucking industry. They’ve just been a nightmare for the trucking industry. So now, during the pandemic, it is safe for me, for all of my fellow drivers to be able to work unlimited hours. Okay?
Charles Clayburn:
We don’t need babysitters when it’s time to provide a service. So it’s okay for these very truck drivers who couldn’t be trusted, apparently, to make good decisions without a pandemic, without a natural disaster. We weren’t allowed to operate the way we felt was safest. We needed to follow their guidelines. So now they waive all those and everybody, it’s like it’s the Wild West out there, and still, we don’t have any fatalities. We don’t have any deaths. And these guys are out there working, some of them, 80, 100 hours, 16-, 18-, 19-, 20-hour days, delivering relief supplies, and emergency supplies, and of course the toilet paper.
Charles Clayburn:
America’s truck drivers will continue to support the American people and deliver everything that you need in your time of need. We will be there doing our jobs, because that’s what we do. That’s what we’ve always done. Through snow, through rain, through wind, through hurricanes, through tornadoes, earthquakes, snow, ice, thousands of miles from our families and the ones that we love, missing birthdays, soccer games, baseball games, graduations. And yes, we chose our jobs, because it used to be a job that held a symbol, a symbol of professionalism, a symbol of respect and admiration. And federal bureaucracies and politicians have destroyed our way of life.
Isela:
We want to know what’s your opinion? Let us know in the comment thread below. Want to know how to be part of an ongoing research with ATRI? Carlin has a 4-1-1. Check him out.
Carlin:
Thanks Isela. Now the hours of service change is just one of the many changes the industry has seen due to the virus. But it’s not the only one. And that’s why the American Transportation Research Institute has teamed up with the owner operator, Independent Drivers Association, for a research study to see how the virus is impacting the trucking operations. But they need your help and participation to do it. Now the organizations have posted a survey and have asked drivers to complete it. We have a link to the survey in the comments below, so be sure to check it out and lend a helping hand. Now it ends this Friday, so get it done soon. Now let’s head back over to Isela, who’s got some more information about the planned CVSA inspections.
Isela:
Gracias, Carlin. The nation’s biggest Truck Enforcement Blitz postponed for Coronavirus. CVSA has announced that they’ll postpone their three-day truck inspection campaign until a later date, due to the Coronavirus. The international road check would have taken place May 5th through the 7th. No new dates have been announced yet. The CVSA stated that regular roadside inspections will continue to be conducted during the Coronavirus crisis. To read more on the article, check out the comment thread below. While there’s been an uptake in certain types of loads, many drivers are now going without. Carlin can explain why.
Carlin:
Thanks, Isela. Now while drivers are keeping the country running, if you’re not hauling groceries or medical supplies, you’ve probably noticed there’s not much work out there. And it’s because freight has taken a hit as factories shut down, restaurants close, events get canceled, and people stay at home. Experts are expecting an 11% GDP drop from quarter one to two, and the GDP’s goods transport sector is expected to decline by more than 20% during that time. But, while the pandemic has put the brakes on the economy so far, experts anticipate a major bounce back as freight could hit the same levels we first saw in early 2019 by the first quarter of 2021. Now Isela, you’ve got a heartwarming story of a teen giving back to drivers.
Isela:
I got the opportunity to visit with a young man with a big heart. He’s been featured all over the news. But no worries, because if you’ve missed it, we got you covered. Let’s go to Logan as he talks about his mission to feed truckers.
Isela:
Today we have awesome guests. If you haven’t heard, well let me tell you. We have with us Logan and his dad, Jason Miller. Guys, welcome to the show.
Jason Miller:
Hello, thank you.
Isela:
I want to know about Logan. Logan has been like the big… I mean, everybody’s talking about Logan. Logan is on a mission. So Logan, tell me what’s going on?
Logan:
Well, I’ve been handing out bag lunches to truck drivers that stop here at this rest area on I-79 heading southbound in West Virginia, heading towards Morgantown.
Isela:
How did you even come up with this idea of wanting to do something like that?
Logan:
Well, I overheard a conversation with my mom and my dad and, where he went to bed hungry one night. Took the matters into my own hands.
Isela:
So dad, tell me, why’d you go to bed hungry?
Jason Miller:
Well, it had been early in the Coronavirus scare and not very many people knew how to, a, sanitize, or do anything else with that nature. So the restaurant in there had just closed down, unfortunately, when they had closed to sanitize. Well, the rest is history. So I was speaking to his mother the next morning, letting her know, and little did I know that I was on speaker phone, and he overheard. And that’s when he decided to take action and use his own allowance money to feed drivers here at this truck stop.
Isela:
So how does that make you feel at a such young age doing something like this for other drivers?
Logan:
Made me feel happy that they’re getting fed. They are not going to bed hungry.
Isela:
I think that what you’re doing is pretty amazing. I know here at the Truck Boss show whenever we heard your story and we saw what you were doing, we were just like, wow, that’s awesome that that’s being done. Especially for someone at your age and using your allowance to do that, to help other drivers that’s out there doing the same thing as your dad. That, I’m just going to tell you that we’re very proud of you. Well, I thank you so much to both of you for your time. Thank you for having given us the opportunity. And Logan, you keep doing what you do. We’re very proud of you here, and all the support and love to all the other drivers out there like your father. So thank you so much guys for being on the show.
Carlin:
You know, it’s really awesome to see people giving back to drivers, especially right now. They’re kind of the lifeblood of our country without a pandemic. And with a pandemic, it’s even more apparent.
Isela:
Well, one of the good things about Logan is that not only did he decide it’s a onetime deal. No, he said, I want to continue. He’s doing it twice a week, same location, from two to five. But off camera, he did mention to me that he does plan on following his father’s footsteps and also becoming a driver himself.
Carlin:
That’s pretty cool. And much like Logan, we’re not stopping. You’re not stopping.
Isela:
No.
Carlin:
We are continuing to provide you these updates as well. Hit it.
Isela:
Oh yeah, of course. You already know, we’ve got to hook you up.
Carlin:
Yeah. Doing our weekly giveaways. This week, we are giving away one of these awesome beanies. Be sure to like, share, comment, subscribe. That way, you get the notifications when we go live. Again, on Friday, we’re going to tell you how you can win this awesome beanie. So don’t miss out.
Isela:
Yeah, don’t miss out. And Carlin, why do we do this?
Carlin:
Because you’re the boss.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.