How has COVID-19 affected the transportation industry? To start off with, on April 6th, 2020, The American Trucking Association (ATA) announced the cancellation of the National Truck Driving Championships, originally scheduled to be held in Indianapolis, IN August 19-22, 2020. According to ATA’s Chris Spear “The Super Bowl of Safety has not been cancelled since World War II, which is a testament to just how unprecedented this challenge is.”
The COVID-19 pandemic affects everyone in the United States, and world-wide. Those that operate a motor vehicle as part of their regular job duties play a critical role in ensuring that the delivery of essential goods and services needed to supply their community and our country continues. Commercial driver Health & Safety is of paramount importance now, more than ever.
Isolation while on the road is not unique for the professional driver. However being away from family and loved ones can place additional demands and stress on everyone during this time. Even if we are doing fine, our loved ones, friends and co-workers need to know how we are doing. Everyone needs to keep communications open, often and honest. While some benefits during this time include lower fuel cost, and less traffic, keep in mind that we still share the road, and others are affected by many of the same demands, stress and tension we may be experiencing. This can lead to road rage and undesired consequences. Stay rested, keep calm, and be especially aware of the need to be kind to other motorists, even when they may not seem to be returning the favor.