Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

My only question is how long until we see a Knight driver selling tuna packets at the Flying J fuel island?

 

I know it is heretical to speak of it around these parts, but I think the truck stop employees deserve much more credit than truckers do.

The only difference between my life now vs. my life a month ago is that I wash my hands much more often these days.

Meanwhile, truck stop employees are out here giving us all a place to eat, sleep, shower, and $#!+. They're doing so at far greater risk of infection because they encounter more people than I do, and they're doing so for a lot less money than what I make. I am especially sympathetic to the waiters and waitresses of the restaurants at the truck stops, because I waited tables for 15 years. I know exactly how this is negatively impacting them.

If truckers are the backbone of the economy, truckstop employees are the backbone of truckers. I plan on sending some pizzas to a couple of my favorite truck stops later on today to express my appreciation.

 

Folks, we have a driver who is ill at the pilot in Wytheville. Not one person in the office has reached out to this driver. I don’t want to put too much of his business out there. He does NOT have covid-19 and is NOT in any way contagious. His truck is 1801-the only company Western Star. I’m asking that if you are in the area, please check to see if he needs anything.

 

"Our driving associates can maintain minimal contact with others..."

As an introvert with minimal need for face-to-face socialization, I am glad that I finally get my day in the sun.

 

I think that these companies are finally realizing that we need more than a roller dog. I’m sure they are scrambling trying to find basic necessities for drivers. If not, it wouldn’t take much for 50-100 drivers to come down with flu like symptoms and self quarantine. Water and non perishable foods go a long way. One of my ex-trainees just delivered to a BH distributer in Oregon on Monday and was given $50 worth of lunch meat and cheese.

Absolutely. Those dates are usually a sell by date. Things like packaged foods are good for a very long time.

The water outside the WM yard will either disappear by theft, or the honor system will be thrown right out the window.

And you are correct, by the end of the year, we’ll be right back under the woodpile in the eyes of the motoring public.

I tell my wife all the time, my camper and I have no issues getting through a day.

I’m more concerned with the Swift drivers.

 

Without going into any detail, is there anything those of us at home could do? I remember being stranded at the Hopi Travel Plaza back in the early 90’s for 3 days because of a bad case of food poisoning. Thank god the folks inside came and checked in me and brought me liquids. I’d be willing to call up there and help out with a credit card.

 

Not from home, no, nothing. I had to tell him to call HR back and find out what they were going to do to get him home. I don’t think he’s going to be working for a while.

 

Does he know about the short term and long term disability?

 

Publix Driver can make $300-$400/day... Supplemental Drivers in the Pop Up Fleet helping to get through this emergency and help keep food on the shelves... $250/day

One driver reports he made $83k last year
(Ya ya ya... truckers are like fishermen)

But thinking I should have tried harder to get on with Publix when I lived in Boynton Beach... where their main DC is located... {shrug}