CoViD19 Trucking help as things unfold.

[Chamberpains]

I figured I'd start a thread of USEFUL information for drivers to stay up to date on problems, resolutions, government policies and changes and other ideas to overcome hurdles we run in to while this virus reaction is unfolding.

Please try to keep this to only factual information from reputable sources. Links to actual information. Not opinion, guess or our favorite... trucker talk or I was told by.....

I received an email from OOIDA with a link to Landline mag with FMCSA's current changes to HOS for emergency relief.

Current as of 3/19/2020

https://landline.media/fmcsa-expands-nat...os-relief/

[kozakvod]

As a Car Hauler I don't deal with a lot of the same things many of you deal with, but what I can add is this.

As of this week:

- GM, Ford, Chrysler, Nissan, and Hyundai in North America have shut down all production facilities.
- All rental car companies are no longer receiving new vehicle deliveries.
- In specific geographical areas of the country dealers have already closed due to mandates.
- In other areas many more are closing voluntarily.
- Major national auctions (Manheim and Adesa) have closed ALL in-person auctions nationwide. Only simulcast sales are available to buyers.

At this time I have one more load to my customers in Colorado the end of this week.

To all of you who are tirelessly rolling the wheels to bring necessary goods to the local market I salute you and pray for all of you.

God bless!

[Waterloo]

Latest from Amazon, I received this yesterday in my email. I will just copy and paste.

Dear Partner,

Amazon is prioritizing some loads from select vendors into our fulfillment centers to ensure we can quickly deliver products customers need. We remain fully operational, and while we are prioritizing these essential loads into our FCs, your loads, VRIDs, Blocks, ISAs, and tenders will continue as normal. In other words, if you have a load booked, please execute that load as normal.

Thank you for your continuous support!

[JimT]

Received a message from Landstar today, they will pay BCO's (their owner operators) $1,000 per week should we get diagnosed with Covid-19 or if we are required to be quarantined. Estimated duration would be 2 weeks. Otherwise it's still very busy over here.

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PA closed all their Rest Areas and Welcome centers as of Tuesday. Not sure if anything has changed since then or how long they planned to keep them closed. Last I saw on Wednesday morning was barricades at on/off ramps and message boards announcing the statewide closure.

Update: After reading a comment from Chamberpains I found this story regarding the limited reopening of Rest Stops in PA

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I've seen some venders shut down, however most of the construction projects seem to be going on full steam. I run flatbed so I can't speak for the Van segment. New England was turning in to a ghost town when I left Tuesday. I literally left Boston at 4pm 95 to 90 to 84 all the way out to Scranton, PA and I don't think I slowed down for anything except a couple curves. 1/10th the usual traffic. Atlanta traffic was light this morning on the interstates, but where I delivered, west of Georgia Tech, was busy busy busy. And passing through Chattanooga and Knoxville this afternoon traffic seemed almost normal. So, the response seems to vary with the region.

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TA/Petro, Loves, Pilot/Flying J keep sending me emails about how they are committed to supporting the truckers out on the roads, so at least there's that.

[Magard]

I know that this is a back you deal up by facts. But I don’t think this reminder needs backing. Make sure you carry enough cash in your truck to buy enough fuel to get home if your cards don’t work for some reason. It’s just good policy. The banks are getting money pumped into them. It’s called a repo operation. It’s been going on for months. Way before the virus. It’s to keep the system from vapor locking. The fed is giving them money like crazy now to keep the system functioning. But if there’s a hickup in this the credit card system could freeze up.

[Waterloo]

Hundreds of North Dakota Oilfield Workers Laid Off
by: Renee Cooper
Posted: Mar 19, 2020 / 07:00 PM CDT / Updated: Mar 19, 2020 / 07:00 PM CDT


2020 was expected to be a tough year for oil prices.

The year started out at $60 a barrel. Today, we’re at $20 a barrel, which the Department of Mineral Resources Director, Lynn Helms said is barely a break-even price.

He told KX News some forecasters say $10 is possible in the very near future.

Helms explained that the global oil market, coupled with the start of the coronavirus spread across the U.S., is putting North Dakota’s oilfield employees out of work in droves.

He said 200 to 300 North Dakota oilfield workers have already been laid off, as a direct result of the coronavirus spread.

“I’ve been either working in this industry, or working as a regulator in the industry, for over 40 years, and this particular price drop is unprecedented,” Helms shared.

He said we won’t even realize the magnitude of it until we get overall rig and completion counts, which is three to six months away.

“We’re anticipating that we’re in this for at least a year, if not two, two and a half years,” Helms added.

He expects a dramatic number of wells will become inactive very quickly, possibly 50 to 60 percent of them, leading to hundreds of more layoffs in the near future

“Out of the 16,000 producing wells, probably 2,000 to 3,000 of those are marginally profitable. And so, they’re not economic at this point,” Helms explained.

Job Service North Dakota told KX News, just last week, 18 percent of all new unemployment insurance benefit claims came from oil and gas workers.

“We saw a fairly big rush of folks coming in yesterday. About 90 percent of people coming through the door in Williston were unemployment-related, and about 90 percent of those were initial filings,” shared Paula Hickel, the Workforce Center Manager at Job Service North Dakota in Williston.

Hickel said many of these layoffs are temporary.

“There’s a lot of question marks there, of if and when things pick back up,” she noted.

“We’re praying for the best, that this is a short term blip, and that we can recover. Fortunately, the budget has been strong over the last few months. We’re at about 100-million dollars over budget right now. So that gives us a good cushion for the next couple of months while we wait and see,” added North Dakota Rep. Josh Boschee.

The Democratic State Representative is referring to the overall state budget. And because of an anti-gifting clause in the state constitution, lawmakers can’t give funds directly to citizens or employers.

“It would be a matter of how do we support the infrastructure throughout the state? Maybe through childcare, healthcare, maybe through delivery services…” Boschee continued.

When we asked if this is a discussion already in the works, he replied, “Right now, we’re waiting for the federal funds to show up.”

Helms said there is a plan in place in case oil companies end up filing for bankruptcy that will not burden the taxpayers.

Helms said those working in natural gas or waste disposal, shouldn’t expect layoffs anytime soon.

If you would like assistance looking for another job, or need to file for unemployment benefits, Job Service is still open.

In the event it closes in the coming weeks, click here to file a claim online.

You can also call the Claim Center with questions about qualifying for unemployment benefits or about filing online. That number is (701) 328-4995.

Hickel said to check your local Job Service’s Facebook page for announcements and closures. And if your local office does close, she promises the phone lines will remain open.

CORRECTION: Sun Well Services says they have not made any layoffs. Lynn Helms with the Dept. of Mineral Resouces told KX News, Sun Well has been making layoffs, however, the company says that is not true.

https://www.kxnet.com/news/local-news/hu...-laid-off/

[Chamberpains]

Watch picking up and delivering loads coming to the east coast. MAJOR business closing in PA and New York and more to come. It very chaotic with knowing what's happening. Be sure to call ahead to see if shippers and receivers are still operational.

[JimT]

(03-20-2020 )Chamberpains Wrote:  Watch picking up and delivering loads coming to the east coast. MAJOR business closing in PA and New York and more to come. It very chaotic with knowing what's happening. Be sure to call ahead to see if shippers and receivers are still operational.

I'll add MA and CT to that list. CT's governor announced today that people in "non-essential" jobs should stay home.

One other thing I was told today (from a direct source) was that federal government/military projects are not shutting down, at least not yet. Nor are most of the support businesses, such as naval shipyards, their steel suppliers and other vendors, as an example.

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I have a delivery in Grand Rapids, MI on monday, anyone have an eye on that general area? Haven't been over there in months. Anything shutdown out there?

[Lonestar10]

As far as PVC pipe/lumber/shingles/deco block have had 0 issues in mi, sd, mn, co, wi, il, ia, ne, ks areas with deliveries. Worst I've had is James Hardy in Peru il. today where I had to call the shipping office to check in but I was still into Peru, loaded, tarped, fueled, out of Peru in 1hr 15 min. That was also with about a 10m delay as broker hadn't scheduled my pickup. So not bad. Rates have been good to 350m loads paying $1000-1100 for shingles/block. This load is worst I've had this week 1350 for 535miles but it brought me home and delivery is only 35miles away.