As the coronavirus spreads across the globe, more and more countries are closing their ports of entry to trade from China. Supply chains are being disrupted, oil prices are in flux, and an outbreak originating in China will have an impact on trucking here in the United States.
According to the World Health Organization, the current outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has now infected more than 28,000 people. The vast majority of cases are in China. A large percentage of China’s cases are in the province of Hubei, where Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, is located. Still, the virus has spread to other countries around the world including Korea, Japan, Australia, India, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Canada, and the U.S.
Countries have begun to ban not only passenger travel from China, but also cargo shipments. Since China is the world’s largest manufacturer, this is already having an impact on global freight movement.
It’s not just goods imported directly from China that U.S. truckers need to be aware of though. China’s factories supply components for goods manufactured in other countries as well. For example, Hyundai Motor Co. is halting production at all seven of its plants in South Korea because it can’t get parts made by their suppliers in China.
According to Freightwaves, roughly 40% of all shipments entering the U.S. last month came from China. As trucking has seen from the trade war with China, even a relatively small dip in imports from China can have an impact on freight volumes – and therefore rates.
Since the coronavirus is not yet contained, it is not yet known how far the virus will spread or what its eventual impact will be. According to the WHO, the rate of infection is increasing. A situation report published by the WHO on February 1st reported 2,128 new confirmed cases within the previous 24 hours. In a report published on February 6th, 3,722 had been confirmed within the previous 24 hours.
For more information on the coronavirus, including how to protect yourself and list of common misconceptions, you can visit the World Health Organization website.
Scary.
This could be the beginning of the end. Is this virus airborne now? Or transmitted by touch only. How long does it thrive before it becomes harmless outside the body? As far as parts for cats and other mechanical applications, moving the cargo from ships to shore shouldn’t be a worry. The workers on the ships just don’t go on shore and the dock workers just don’t go on the ship. Cranes do the work of loading and unloading. So if this virus is not airborne then as long as the workers on the ship don’t come in contact with the dock workers there shouldn’t be a problem.
Very scarey just what us truckers need.
This is a plague that the Lord is striking the world with because of our sins, you want this to stop,then repent
Buy Made in USA.
‘Made’ in the USA still uses components sourced in other countries and their sources inevitably lead back to China.
A few points to ponder..
This coronavirus is less deadly that another coronavirus that we are all familiar with, influenza or the “flu”. The big difference is that you are infectious for 3-5 days before showing any symptoms. Most of the people who have died have compromised immune systems or are elderly.
Masks do NOTHING to prevent the spread – it’s spread through touch. Was your hands religiously, carry hand sanitizer, and don’t touch your face after touching a surface until you’ve washed or sanitized.
Unless your immune system is compromised, if you get sick treat it as you would if you get the flu – lots of rest, hot liquids (including chicken soup – homemade, if possible – there are antiviral properties in it!), isolate yourself as much as possible. If you’re healthy, you’re more likely to die in a plane crash than you are from the coronavirus..
That sounds like information from China.The hand washing and hand sanitizer sounds good but this is not your normal flu it is the cause young healthy adults deaths. Your normal strains normally are only life threatening to the elderly and the very young.
Sir you are quite correct he copied that off the web, TRUTH is there are 15 different types of this virus and this one the CDC yesterday Said there is not a cure and theres not going to be one anytime soon, reports from China are false and deaths are much higher than being reported, as of today it’s way over 25000 dead in wuhan alone those numbers are from the Russian network’s that are not banned in China,
Its going to get much worse I believe,
I think the comparison to dying in a plane crash is only relative to the current numbers at this point and they continue to change on a daily basis. That comparison may be well true today but in the near future it may not be accurate at all.
Now, into conspiracy territory.
Fact: There is a biological warfare laboratory literally around the corner from the Wuhan market; another biowarfare lab is less than 20 miles away. This market is also where SARS started, as well as several other minor outbreaks. Coincidence?
The virus doesn’t seem to be mutating, which is NOT normal.
Maybe a test to find out the voracity of this strain and see how the world reacts? Maybe with an idea to inject a much more lethal bug in this virus? Or have I read too many action books with maniacal bad guys intent on wiping out humanity? 😁
That’s what I’m thinking
Texas you haven’t been reading too many action books and I think you are correct. They needed to try it out and see what happens in case they have to make it more viral. It is so sad that they are willing to kill off so many of their own people for a test but what can I say, anything to meet the end result besides they have a number of people. I read that the virus was shipped from a lab in Canada to Wuhan and one of the Dr’s working at that lab (Chinese) was fired and sent back to Wuhan along with her husband. She was supposedly working on a vaccination against the virus so that when China used it as a way to control sections of the world, they could then sell them the antidote. Be vigilant and take care of your health. One of the health reports I read said to take Vit D3 (5ki IU’s plus daily) to keep your immune system healthy and you won’t be susceptible. Doesn’t look like WHO knows their you know what from a hole in the ground either. WHO knows maybe they are in on the scam.
Haha you share my thoughts exactly, actually. Wuhan police also forcibly silenced the doctor who originally detected the first case 2019-nCoV and tried to sound the alarm for prevention. He’s now dead from the virus, and 7 others doctors in Wuhan were also forced to remain silent before China finally admitted to the outbreak.
I freely admit that I am one to enjoy a good conspiracy theory…but I also genuinely believe WWIII will be initiated by biological warfare, and the most probable instigator will be China. Not saying 2019-nCoV is it…but Wuhan sure seems like a test ground for Chinese biowar.
I’m not sure that it would be normal for a virus to mutate if that were true then the flu or the common cold would have taken us all out by now.
this is a bio weapon that has escaped. You do not put now half a billion people on lockdown close factories weld doors shut in apartment buildings so no one gets out or dump gravel in front of the doors to lock people in. This is an historical event unfolding and EVERYDAY it is getting worse and worse. No country destroys its economy for a virus or flu etc.
I like Trump but this will cost him his job this disaster is going down on his watch and he doesn’t want to be the first leader to publicly declare the truth and create worldwide panic. But everyday they wait the worse its getting. You can wait for someone to tell you to get ready or you can quietly go about buying inexpensive items that may help make a difference to you and your family, before the masses start hitting the stores like its black Friday giveaway. These cruise ships are medical labs already infecting ports around the world with infected people spend a little time watching videos on you tube posted by people risking arrest and maybe death to warn others. This is not a joke this crap is the real deal time will tell. Educate yourself don’t wait for someone in a suit to tell you don’t panic.
Interesting my post a few hours ago is waiting moderation (censorship) however the mocking nothing to see here posts no worse than yhe flu get posted. Thanks
Biochemical warfare released on the world.Time to take out that lavatory that also created scars.The beginning of the end.
Yesterday I seen loads from California for 75cents a mile. I called broker to see if this was a typo and she said that is the correct number.Scary out here.It,s hard to get $2 anymore.Our industry is the most needed and we always take the hit.
@Jeff,
$0.75 per mile! You’re talking to the wrong brokers and researching the wrong lanes out of Cali. There’s still freight above $2.00 per mile.
Robots would go on strike with today’s load rates, humans, we’re stupid enough to run it! Lol!
As Always the Truckers ALWAYS take the HIT,, WHILE THE OFFICE JOCKS & upper mngt get the perks.When is upper mngt gonna understand the sacrifices driver’s make to keep the company profitable. Shame on Upper Management for being so GREEDY. KNOCK IT OFF!!
It was reported today on mainstream media that the Chinese doctor,who was arrested by the communist Chinese government for attempting to warn the world about the severity of this virus, has died from the virus.
I think all truckers need to stop running load all kind of load and see what the brokers are going to do about it .brokers are making more money then truckers .load boards are full of 2 dollars a mile load but not even 2 dollars per miles is enough money for a truck. We need to stop ours trucks till this government put hands on brokers stealing all money from truckers. Nobody is regulating brokers we need to put price on hours hard work not the brokers truckers need to set a rate not brokers and that’s what’s happening here brokers are paying what they want not what it is .
Another man-made-in-a-lab virus to cause problems. The AIDS virus was one of those.
I blame this virus on cat-eating. It started in the ‘wild game’ market. In China, that includes every thing unfit for eating, and cat is popular. So, people are eating an animal whose sole diet is the raw flesh of every sort of vermin and all of the parasites and bugs therein.