We are in unprecedented times! On our office wall our mission statement is on display and the last sentence says, “…provide exceptional service for our customers’ challenging and ever-changing needs.” Well, March 2020 has put that statement to the test. The nation’s response to Covid-19 has changed almost daily.
Many emails have been sent regarding the Covid-19 outbreak. While we don’t want to send just another email about that, it of course has changed the way trucking works across the country as supply and demand lanes have been drastically altered. Like many of you, we had to adapt in order to keep up with the daily changes. But we thought you might be interested to know some of the things the federal government has done to keep trucking moving along. Here is what has happened:
First, fun fact. Did you know the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration put an emergency exemption into effect during this time where any truck involved in the transportation of emergency supplies (milk, groceries, general store supplies, ag products, etc.) can set aside standard hours of service regulations and drive as long as necessary to make deliveries of these items? We are still responsible for safely operating our vehicles, of course, but will not be cited for going over our driving hours in a day. Also, a port of entry or highway trooper will not be doing inspections as that could possibly slow down trucks on their emergency relief efforts. We have used this exemption with some of the lanes we are running because it has made the delivery of items able to move up one or two days to help keep up with demand. But for the most part we asked our drivers to continue to adhere to standard logbook rules/regulations and put in a full 600-700 miles of driving each day.
Second, the hoarding is real! We are very blessed that Mark has maintained great relationships with other trucking companies. We keep trucks in the milk, reefer, and general freight business year round to maintain some diversity and those lanes have needed a lot of extra help these past couple weeks. Based on what you have seen at stores, this is likely not a surprise to you. We have put all our efforts into helping keep up with the demand on the stores, including reviving trucks back into service that were on their way out the door to be sold off. When you are at the grocery stores during this time, we hope the thought comes to your mind: “Thank a truck driver.”
Lastly, nothing has changed our ability to serve you and provide you with transportation needs. Fortunately, our company’s day-to-day practices fit within the restrictions placed on social distancing and essential industries. In our office building the workspaces are spread out (10-20 feet) and we never exceed more than 10 people gathering together. Our mechanics likewise have plenty of space. Then, of course, our drivers are experienced experts in social distancing at work and they have their own mobile “shelter-in-place” truck that keeps them away from points of contact where the virus could be transmitted. We have always had very high standards of cleanliness at Double D and that has been amplified during this time. As well, we are providing our drivers with cleaning supplies so the few times they need to go into a truck stop they can properly sanitize before returning to their trucks.
What a time to be alive! We hope you and your companies can find stability through this time, just as we hope ours can. We also hope we can all find purpose to this situation that has just begun and will likely continue for some time. Please stay safe, we love so many of you, we pray for you, and we look forward to continuing to work with you.