BOISE, Idaho — Truckers passing through Idaho were treated to a free lunch at the East Boise Port of Entry on Friday. The Idaho Trucking Association says they raised $19,000 last week to pay for what turned into 2,000 lunches.
“A lot of people forget all the stuff that we consume daily in the stores, you know even Amazon, everything is shipped by truck. 70% of the goods in America come via truck,” said Allen Hodges, President & CEO, Idaho Trucking Association.. “Without them on the road grocery store shelves would be empty and all the other necessities that we use daily in our life, medical supplies wouldn’t be here without the trucks either.”
Members from the Idaho State Police, the Idaho Transportation Department and even Idaho Gov. Brad Little decided to volunteer their time to pass these lunches out to truckers.
“A lot of the issues that the whole country is facing is how to maintain commerce,” Gov. Brad Little said. “Everybody knows about what it’s like in the grocery stores and these men and women that are driving all these rigs right behind us right now are part of that supply chain.”
Hodges said they ordered all of the food from a deli in downtown Boise and that it was their biggest order ever.
“Everybody has seen the picture of grocery stores and the shelves empty, these are the people that provide those goods and stack those shelves,” said Gov. Little.
Some states have closed rest stops along U.S. highways because of the coronavirus, but Idaho is not one of them.
Hodges explained that the federal government has loosened some regulations on truckers so necessary medical and food supplies are able to get to where they're needed.
“These drivers are risking their own health and their families’ health,” Hodges said. “You know they’re traveling state to state. Everybody needs to tell them thank you because they’re sorta like a hero.”