It’s no secret, the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has rocked the entire world without ever being seen by the naked eye.

This stealthy, silent, invisible enemy has flown around the world as if waters didn’t separate continents – claiming lives and infecting the health of hundreds of thousands of people around the globe at staggering speeds.

It has also brought the thriving American economy and daily life for 330+ million Americans to a grinding halt in, what feels like, a surreal matter of days.

Whose there fighting to keep shelves stocked with the goods, tools, and resources Americans need to fight this historic, global health crisis?

As more American contract the highly contagious coronavirus, heavy loads of patients are pouring into medical facilities around the country and as the CDC has advised ‘social distancing’ businesses, restaurants, bars, churches, gyms, events, concerts, and even social gatherings have canceled, postponed, or closed temporarily.

It’s no wonder hundreds of millions of Americans have made a run on grocery and sporting good stores, preparing to honker down for God knows how long, before we can get the ‘all clear’ to pick up and put the pieces of our daily lives back together.

The extremely high consumption of food and home goods as well as medicine, medical tools, and resources needed to care for patients by medical professionals has led to epic shortages.

Bone dry grocery store shelves and fast-diminishing medical supplies, which are putting our health care professionals at high risk of becoming infected.

Whose there fighting to keep shelves stocked with the goods, tools, and resources Americans need to fight this historic, global health crisis?

Truckers

Road warriors…Freight Fighters…U.S. Defense of Delivery…SuperShippers…

 

Whatever you want to call them, the song CFF has been singing for 25 years about truckers is now being sung by America – “Truckers are the backbone of the American economy.” That’s right, everybody knows that the CFF team has always fought for the respect and applause of American haulers.

But on Friday, March 13th, 2019, just hours after President Trump declared a national state of emergency spurred by rising cases of the coronavirus outbreak, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) made history when they issued an emergency waiver that lifted the HOS (hours of service) regulation for truckers transporting relief supplies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Furthermore, they chimed in with CFF by taking a moment to thank the men and women of the trucking industry for fearlessly and tirelessly serving America in this critical moment of America.

Coronavirus cases had reached 3,485, resulting in a massive national run on supermarkets, leaving them barren of essential items that include hand sanitizer, toilet paper, bread and pasta. The FMCSA went on social media on Sunday, March 15th with this…

“The hard-working men and women of the commercial motor vehicle industry drive our nation’s economy. As our nation works to address the #COVID-19 outbreak, the CMV industry is playing a critical role in ensuring deliveries and maintaining America’s supply chain. Thank you for all the work that you do.”

Silver Lining

How has this mass shopping frenzy impacted trucking volumes in the U.S.?

As evidenced by the national Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI), now at 11,314.12, which is the highest point in its three-year history, it’s skyrocketed volumes! After surging 6% last week, OTVI was up another 7% since then.

Plus, outbound tender rejections have climbed to over 8% this week.

We all know that it won’t last, so “you should be getting it while the getting is good!”

Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations spoke at a MODEX logistics and supply chain conference in Atlanta and said, “The spread of COVID-19 will not reduce the critical role of global supply chains but could trigger dramatic changes in how they operate.”

She also said the coronavirus, which started in China and has since spread worldwide, could lead to a broad rethink of how global companies source, store and distribute goods.

She believes, “It will likely follow the template of the U.S.-China trade war, in which businesses impacted by the Trump administration’s tariffs on Chinese goods began shifting operations to alternate countries like Vietnam and Malaysia.”

If companies slow domestic production and activity attempting to contain the spread of the virus, trucking volumes should decline, but trucking companies may do the same thing resulting in reduced supply of trucks.

Even though Americans have been bombarded with reports, messages, and news on the Coronavirus outbreak, there’s still so many questions we have about the impact it will have on our country’s health, culture, lifestyle, and economy.

Right now the future is as fluid as the spread of COVID-19 itself.

Right now, millions of Americans and an army of health care workers around the country are scrambling for vital good, medical tools, and resources needed to address human and health needs.

That’s why when people all over the country see those big rigs plugging down the highways and byways into their corner of North America, they’ll have that catchy hit song by Thin Lizzy quietly strumming in their spirit, “The boys are back in town!”

That’s why when people all over the country see those big rigs plugging down the highways and byways into their corner of North America, they’ll have that catchy hit song by Thin Lizzy quietly strumming in their spirit, “The boys are back in town!”

About Commercial Fleet Financing, Inc.:

At Commercial Fleet Financing (CFF), our pros have given smart advice to fleet owners and owner-operators in the transportation, moving, towing or construction industries for more than two decades. With CFF, finding the right financing solutions is a phone call away and most borrowers secure commercial vehicle financing with ease. To talk directly with one of our finance pros and get started with a credit approval in as little as two hours, CFF’s phone number is (469) 281-2962.

Watch This Weeks MTIM:Hero Haulers Deliver the Goods to Defeat the Global Coronavirus Pandemic
President of CFF, Matt Manero, Talks About How Important Trucking is to the United States Economy in 2020

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

About Commercial Fleet Financing, Inc.: At Commercial Fleet Financing (CFF), our pros have given smart advice to fleet owners and owner-operators in the transportation, moving, towing or construction industries for more than two decades. With CFF, finding the right financing solutions is a phone call away and most borrowers secure commercial vehicle financing with ease. To talk directly with one of our finance pros and get started with a credit approval in as little as two hours.
CFF’s phone number is (469) 281-2962.