During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the truck drivers who get the supplies to where they need to be.
Executive director for the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association, Jean-Marc Picard, says it is business as usual and they have to make sure the supply chain is not interrupted.
“We are very busy during this challenging time. Bathroom tissue is flying off the shelves, so we have to make sure the supply chain is not interrupted and make sure all of the shelves are all replenished. Food is very important, and water and things like that.”
Picard says it’s hard to say how long this is going to last, and with a limited number of drivers, they have to make sure the ones they have are healthy and ready to go.
“We have to stay ahead of it. The drivers are very courageous. Going to work, delivering the goods, and they’re being careful. If it weren’t for them we wouldn’t have the goods we need. We are very fortunate to have such an industry.”
With supplies running low, everyone is depending on truck drivers to get the supplies that are needed.
Picard says, “Food products, medical supplies, water and fuel, those are things that we need every day. The supplies don’t last long on the shelves, so those things take a priority over others.”
For truck drivers, most work independently, but Picard says they still need the same protection as the rest of us to ensure they don’t get the virus.
“They have to drive through border stops, scales, talk to enforcement, fuel up, pick up meals, so they need sanitizing equipment as well. Right now, it is very hard to find. I encourage people who have too much, if you see a trucker, provide them with some,” Picard says.
He says ensuring fatigue doesn’t set in for their truck drivers is a priority, but Picard says they have a limited number of drivers.
With the state of emergency in effect, they aren’t able to hire and train anymore right now, and there is a shortage of truck drivers.
Picard couldn’t say exactly how many drivers are currently on the roads in Atlantic Canada because it varies month to month.
