We have heard almost just about everything there is to know about Covid-19 over and over again. Now we will look at the unspoken life-blood of America. It is the nation's second largest employer - the truck drivers.
We have plenty of National Guard soldiers in all the states - but what vehicles do they know how to drive?
One thread is left that prevents American life from reaching the bottom of the barrel like after the crash of 1929 - long distance tractor-trailer drivers. Below is inside, 100% factual info about professional truck drivers that everyone should be aware of, as these can and will affect YOU:
* Drivers, whether they are owners of their own tractor trucks or drive for a truck driving company all receive load and other instructions from a central dispatch location. When there are no loads to haul, independent and semi-independent truck drivers sit idle and are unpaid.
* A family member is a long distance driver. He has been sitting in a truck stop for over 19 hours, more than a thousand miles from home. He is waiting for a load order, to instruct him where in the country to pick up a load and where to deliver it. While he waits, he must pay the expense of truck stop meals, showers and diesel fuel to keep his generator running. Tractors have an auxillary power unit. This is a small diesel generator that provides heat, A/C and electricity to keep the cab in livable condition.
* Most loads he moves now are recoveries. This never makes mainstream news. A recovery is where a driver who gives up being a driver (or has a family emergency at home) pulls over at a truck stop. He lowers the landing gear on the trailer by turning a crank, disconnects the two air brake quick release air lines, electrical connections, releases the trailer king pin and just drives away abandoning the load. Many of these recoveries are refrigerated loads. When the trailer engine-generator runs out of fuel, the entire load of meat, frozen food, vegetables etc... is ruined.
* Tractor trailer drivers and drivers of small local delivery trucks are light years apart.
* It takes months of training and practice to obtain the required knowledge and driving skills to pass the federal commercial drivers license (CDL) test, to legally drive a tractor trailer. Many students fail or drop out during training. A national guard soldier with no training cannot possibly jump into the driver's seat and drive.
* Truckers warn the SUPPLY CHAIN IS IN JEOPARDY if they are not provided with Covid-19 protection
Another sign of the times - WalMart recently REFUSED at least one trailer load of Coca-Cola. Most of America's population are now senior citizens who live on Social Security each month. Those payments could stop cold at any time.
All of these issues should be of concern if the pandemic continues for the foreseeable future. If the virus does not burn out soon, Americans and people around the world will go to the store only to find empty shelves. If you think the rush on toilet paper is bad - wait until FOOD is gone with no store owner knowing when it will return. Without doubt this will result in martial law if both the government and economy are collapsing. People WILL become violent animals when hunger pangs can no longer be ignored. Civilization as we know it will collapse.
Closed factories are already having an impact on many products. The president and state governors are now warning people "Life will never be the same again." That is an understatement. I am praying this is not the last article I write. God bless everyone.
Ted Twietmeyer
tedtw@frontiernet.net
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