How has Coronavirus affected you?

Take your father to a airfield on a nice perfect clear day without too much wind. Put him into a light plane with a instructor pilot after briefing same. Don't force him. If the instructor is any good your father will learn that flying is really good. If there is no engine, gliding is a form of flying and you have plenty of time to go through procedures including picking a spot to put her down. Its hard to crash a plane. But if they did get into a situation to crash well... God will be busy enough I reckon.

Regarding the virus, Trucking is keeping America moving and supplied. The industry is not doing well when Government has closed. Licensing expires, med cards expire and DMV's Schools and training is stopped for the time being as are Courts (Ours is supposed to reopen sometime next week. MAYBE...) so that end of enforcment falls to DOT and Lawmen on the side of the interstate.

Arkansas is not doing that bad, We are not closed up like most states.

As of tonight I think 1250 infected, 84 in hospitals several hundred recovered, and 34 on ventilator and 26 dead. All of us for the most part is at home going out only when necessary. And some businesses are appointment only as are banks. Despite the virus, we are functioning. Primarily because the state did not lock everything down. We were abused however by other states and their people coming here to flee their lockdowns. So Our Governor has executed some Orders to the State closing what he must, stopping other things and just what is needed.

Church is closed tomorrow due to the outbreak, Most of the pastors here communicate so all of them will either close or broadcast online from the richer bigger churches, two are on local tv and so on. So we do not miss out too much.

In the end the Virus will be taken care of and life goes on. And as long the trucks roll that tells me we will be fine. We might not have all of our freedoms or have the things we enjoy in life at the store every day but we make do and keep enjoying life day after day. No fear here. The people already know what they need to do and just go forward.

If this lasts too long however, then we have a problem at that point. But we will cross that bridge when we get there. However we don't expect to. Our ADH, Arkansas Dept of Health and it's Director has vested authority to make decisions and orders at the state level backed by the Governor who is doing very well.

 

It is difficult out there for trucking. But there is always a place to sleep and eat. Just need trip planning.

Our Local truckstops are still open and they are feeding drivers and fueling etc. Somewhat limited in certain ways but we are functioning. Better than some locked down states. Just being in a 18 wheeler gives you a form of pass to go on down the road. They know you are important to the Nation and will in one way or another get you taken care of.

However some counties in California require truckers to wear a mask now. A good N95 or similar mask is not a problem with a box on hand. So I would not worry about it too much.

The problem is retail. That has pretty much stopped unnecessary trucking. Rates are bad but you will find a hungry trucker willing to drive for nothing somewhere. Others are not making trucks availible. We have a habit of parking trucks in bad times and wait for a better day. Its more important to be home with family sometimes.

The additional problems is that Government is limiting our freedoms in ways never done before outside of wartime (Such as WW2, WW1, Civil War and Reconstruction etc) Baltimore was invaded and occupied several times, the last time was in 1968 during the riots in my area growing up. And they are again by armored vehicles downtown today. They will get through that too. Like always.

My family in Maryland reports roving police seeking violators. So they get intercepted and made to explain their business or reason for being outside of their Gov Ordered lockdown at home.

Here in Arkansas some things are closed and retail in general has closed. But not all of it. We are working on curbside, delivery and pull up to say a drug store and staff will bring out the stuff to your car from the back door and make change to your car too. No problems.

 

The hours I can shop at Walmart are limited so I can’t do my usual middle of the night grocery shopping stop. That is honestly the biggest effect for me. Other than that this has had little effect on me. I don’t eat out often and cook my meals in the truck. Truck stops are still open 24/7 for when I need to park shower or fuel. I am enjoying the reduced traffic too.

 

Traffic is nice. The food sucks and theres not enough parking. But its always been like that so whats changed

 

Pretty much everything out here is the same as it was. Some places you're not allowed to get your own coffee and most 'restaurants' have carryout only. There haven't been many *good* meals to be had at what has become more of a fuel stop than a truckstop for a long while, so that remains the same too.