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The 208

Keep on truckin': Delivering goods during a pandemic

We spoke to truckers about some of the rumors going around about getting products to stores.

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BOISE, Idaho — Truckers are under appreciated most of the time until you need them. Like right now.

If you've been in a grocery store lately, you've seen rows and rows of empty shelves.

We've been told repeatedly - it's not a supply issue. The product is out there, it's just about getting it to the stores.

And we need some common sense when it comes to hoarding essential items.

So, it's about the distribution.

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You've probably heard that truckers are running themselves ragged trying to get the product to the stores.

Not exactly.

We stopped by the TA Travel Center in Boise Tuesday to ask truckers directly.

For the most part they are still limited by the rules of the road and how long they can drive.

Other questions we've been asked -- are truck stops being shut down?

Not according to who we spoke with, but there are fewer services being offered at truck stops, just like everywhere else.

Some states are closing rest areas to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Bathrooms aren't staffed to keep them clean on a minute-by-minute basis. So, they close them completely, which has been frustrating for some drivers who just want a place to sleep.

There are also stories out there of truck drivers being attacked as they unload their highly-sought-after freight.

RELATED: Boise family thanks truck drivers

Nobody we talked to had heard of any of that happening.

Back to the original inquiry -- are truckers frantically busy right now getting the goods to you?

The answer we heard, kind of, but there's only so much they can do.

"Our freight's gone up since Christmas, normally early in the spring it kind of slows down up until like barbeque season and stuff," said Keenan Bowlin, a truck driver from Meridian.

"There's still a lot of delays. We're waiting around a lot. Like it took me six hours to get loaded yesterday and I only got a 14-hour window of work, an 11-hour window to drive, by the time I hit the road I only got five hours of driving, that's all I can do," said Yuri Sarksayn, who was hauling frozen vegetables from Washington to Texas.

Some of those restrictions have been eased since last week.

Then you add in bad weather and highways being shut down because of crashes, and we find ourselves in the situation we are now - a delay in some products arriving.

But the trucking business is booming right now.

We know this because we asked Paris Cole, CEO of Truckstop.com based in New Plymouth, Idaho, about what they're seeing and how they are coordinating product during this pandemic.

"We're a technology company that provides freight matching services that allows carriers or truck drivers to find freight to haul across the country," Cole said.

"Have you guys seen an uptick in the last month or so?” KTVB asked.

“We have, so actually through much of this year we've seen on average about a 35 percent increase versus an average year, and that percentage is accelerating the last couple of weeks. Last week, for example, we were up 42 percent versus an average year," Cole said.

"A lot of things we've been hearing is that it's been a crazy busy time for truck drivers. But some of the people we talked to here at this truck stop have said, 'well, it's a little bit busier but not overwhelmingly so. Is that kind of what you guys are seeing?”

"It depends on the type of freight that's being hauled. So, if we look at consumer package goods, or CPG goods, we see a significant increase amount in that amount of freight we're all experiencing it when we go to the grocery store," Cole said.  

"OK why can't we just take an extra truck of toilet paper from one spot to another?"

"If it were that easy. It's complex. There are a lot of different factors that go into a supply chain. It's everything from when the goods are manufactured to how big is the loading dock and how many trucks are in that area, so it's a very complex problem that needs to be solved."

"Are we correct in saying it's not a supply issue right now but it's a distribution thing?"

"I can't speak to supply question, but I think certainly from what we're seeing there are distribution challenges to be sure," Cole said. "For example, by reason of the increased amount of freight on our site we know that it's more difficult for shippers and manufacturers to find trucks to haul their goods."

"So when people ask you the question what you do for a living what do you tell them about what we are going through right now?

"I tell them that we are certainly in an inflection point right now, a bubble so to speak, with this CPG goods that need to be moved," Cole said. "Long term I don't know how long this is going to last. My hope is not too long for the sake of the overall economy. But certainly right now it's very challenging in certain areas for goods to be moved across the country."

"Certainly challenging but are we worried at this point?

"I don't think worried at this point, I think what we're seeing is that for those goods that are most needed they are continuing to be manufactured. I think our transportation logistics industry is incredibly powerful here in the United States, and I think while we're seeing some short-term issues I think in long run we'll be just fine," Cole said.

There is some good news for truckers. As part of the president's emergency declaration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the group in charge of making sure truck drivers stick to their 14-hour window of work, has eased some of those restrictions.

If a driver is hauling emergency relief in response to COVID-19 like medical supplies, food, and household goods, those hours have been expanded.

That is expected to last until April 12.

So the next time you see a trucker out there, give ‘em some room and a little love.

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