Semitrucks head north on Interstate 15 toward Las Vegas, Monday, April 6, 2020. Over 71% of freight in the country is shipped by truck.
Tuesday, April 7, 2020 | 2 a.m.
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Shea Taylor has seen firsthand the stress some Americans are feeling when shopping during the pandemic. Hauling freight around the country, he’s had people approach him directly about the availability of household goods.
Taylor, a Las Vegas-based over-the-road truck driver with Werner Enterprises, recalls the reception he got recently while dropping off a load of merchandise at a Family Dollar store.
"I got people at the parking lot yelling at me (asking) when we’re going to be done unloading or when we are going to start unloading, and I (had) just pulled up there,” Taylor said.
Taylor, who has been hauling freight for around six months, said many people are treating him and other haulers during the pandemic as simply a tool for more goods.
“People aren’t really considering I’m still doing a job, I’m just trying to get back to the people I love,” Taylor said. “I’m not trying to die over toilet paper.”
Over 71% of freight in the country is shipped by truck, and with the spread of the coronavirus and panic-buying of goods an issue in stores across the country, truckers are an integral part of the supply chain in America.
Bare shelves have caused people to realize how important truckers are to the supply chain, said Paul Enos, the CEO of the Nevada Trucking Association.
“I think that’s when folks go ‘uh oh,’” he said. “They start to realize food just doesn’t show up on the shelves. It has to go through a process, and truckers are a big part of that process and a supply chain.”
According to a May 2019 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, there are 12,320 "heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers" in Nevada. The average wage for a trucker in Nevada is $23.63 an hour, with an annual median wage of $49,140, according to the bureau.
Tommy Blitsch, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 631, said drivers are needed more than ever. He called them the country’s “main essential workers.”
“They’re transporting some very valuable goods that we need, and we’re going to need in the future,” he said.
While it may seem easy for an over-the-road driver to socially distance — after all, they’re in a truck cab most of the time — it’s harder than it sounds, Taylor said.
Just the ability to get supplies, Taylor said, is different in a big rig.
When he’s traveling, he said stores like Target and Walmart don’t want him parking in their lot. When he’s home, he’s had trouble finding items like sanitizer or gloves due to other people buying them out.
This leaves truck stops as his main stopping and shopping point, he said, and many don’t have the items he needs to take proper precautions. They’re also generally crowded, making it hard to socially distance.
He doesn’t have much option, though.
“You’ve got to go in there, you’ve got to fuel up, use the restroom, get some food if you don’t have anything to eat,” he said.
The job requires a lot of person-to-person interaction, Enos said.
“It’s easier for them to socially distance in a truck, but there’s parts along the supply chain where they do have to interact with folks,” Enos said. “They have to interact with the people at the warehouses, factories, the distribution centers, the loading docks, grocery stores.”
The average age of a trucker is over 50, Enos said, raising another problem. Older people are generally more susceptible to the coronavirus’ effects. Some may stay home due to health concerns.
Taylor said he heard companies were looking for truckers. Enos said the impact the virus has had on businesses has meant some companies, such as ones who deliver to casinos, are having a harder time than others.
“When those folks are hurting, those companies that move freight for them are hurting as well.”
Enos and the Nevada Trucking Association are trying to gather supplies to give to truckers. Companies like Peppermill Resorts in Reno, Wynn Resorts and Caesars Entertainment have donated gloves, and Frey Ranch Distillery in Fallon has donated gallons of hand sanitizer.
“Now I’m doing things like trying to source little bottles, so we can put it in little bottles and give them out to our drivers.”
Blitsch said the Teamsters were reaching out to other companies looking for supplies to give to its members, which includes truckers. They’ve been able to find some personal protective equipment, he said.
He said he wished everyone would stay home and leave the road clear for professional drivers to get supplies delivered.
“These drivers should be able to jump in the cab of their truck and haul essential supplies wherever they need to go without extra traffic on the road.”
Taylor said he’s surprised at the number of people on the road when he hauls freight. He doesn’t feel some people are taking stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders seriously enough.
“I was in Utah, I’m at a truck stop and hearing people talk about how they’re going to go visit Vegas because Vegas is all shut down,” Taylor said. “It’s like ‘no, stay home. Quarantine. People are losing their jobs right now.’”
Truckers can generally drive up to 11 hours within a 14-hour period, which resets after a 10-hour rest. If the driver is hauling certain loads, such as COVID-19 testing equipment, personal protective equipment like masks and gloves or food for emergency restocking of stores, there is no limit on their hours. Drivers can, however, tell their motor carrier that they need a rest, and must be permitted up to a 10-hour rest.
Truckers, Blitsch said, will come out of this pandemic more valued by the general public.
“I think they’ve been unappreciated in the past, and I think that’s all going to change with this,” he said.
