Trucking news and briefs for Friday, April 17, 2020:
Trump: ‘Thank God for truckers’
President Donald Trump on Thursday took the the White House lawn to state his appreciation for the nation’s truck drivers in an event organized by the American Trucking Associations. Trump also awarded special keys to drivers from DHL, Big G Express, UPS and FedEx, as well as ATA President Chris Spear.
“Thank God for truckers — that’ll be our theme,” Trump said in his address. He was flanked by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and two of ATA’s America’s Road Team trucks, as well as a DHL-branded tractor-trailer and a UPS tractor-trailer. “In the war against the virus, America’s drivers are the foot-soldiers carrying us to victory,” he said.
“Truckers playing a heroic role in helping America cope during this crisis,” said Chao. “And truckers will play a critical part in helping our economy recover once this crisis is past us.”
Transflo providing COVID-19 resources for fleets, drivers
Transflo, a provider of mobile, telematics and business process automation services, has teamed up with the American Trucking Associations to create digital tools for truck drivers and fleets with health and safety information related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transflo’s Driver Assist Task Force mobile app now includes information contributed from ATA to give drivers up-to-date information to help them keep moving during the pandemic. It includes three main resources for drivers and fleets:
- Task force – An online resource center where drivers and fleets can ask questions and get answers about how to limit the potential spread of the virus, keep freight flowing and streamline business processes.
- Social sharing platform – A social channel where drivers can engage with other drivers and share advice from the road.
- Driver Assist mobile app – The app integrates health tips, trucking news, a messaging platform for drivers and fleets, details about document scanning, and truck stop locations. Drivers already using the Transflo Mobile+ app do not have to download a separate app to utilize these features as they have been integrated into Transflo Mobile+.
Drivewyze adds rest area open, closed notifications for more states
With states keeping some rest areas open while closing others during the COVID-19 pandemic, Drivewyze is adding three more states to its temporary rest area parking notification system.
The weigh station bypass company previously added open and closed alerts for Pennsylvania and Florida. Alerts are now also available for truckers in Arizona, Virginia and Ohio.
“Not knowing where drivers will find available parking at the end of each day continues to be a challenge and a stressor for truckers,” said Brian Heath, CEO of Drivewyze. “Drivers are busy driving and don’t have time to keep track of changing open/close statuses at traditional parking areas. This problem is exacerbated when you add temporary parking sites to the equation. New temporary parking is welcome, but how do drivers know where those are on a timely basis?”
Arizona recently opened two temporary sites, and Virginia is now allowing long-term parking at 10 weigh stations. In Ohio, the state DOT requested Drivewyze provide messaging to truckers as an extension of the state’s decision to keep all rest areas open, patrolled and safe.
Drivers using Drivewyze will receive notifications 25 miles and 5 miles before the reach rest areas. In Ohio, drivers will get a message when crossing the state line that all rest areas are open.
Landstar breaks ground on new driver orientation center
Landstar recently broke ground on the construction of a new 8,000 square-foot orientation center in Carnesville, Georgia, that will replace the company’s current facility in Jefferson, Georgia.
The building is planned for Landstar’s owner-operators and will include two classrooms, a conference room and several amenities, including laundry, showers and break rooms for drivers. There will also be a secured parking lot for more than 120 tractor-trailers and 70 additional passenger vehicles.
The current facility in Jefferson is set to close Aug. 31 with the new Carnesville facility set to open in September.
