After the COVID-19 crisis, truckers will still need better pay and working conditions

Thankfully, times of high stress for everyone don’t come along all that often — but when they do, they cause most of us to take stock of the things that really matter in our lives. Family tops the list, then close friends. Access to quality health care is also important.

One thing that we seldom think about, though, is how everything that sustains us reaches hospitals, grocery stores, gas stations, manufacturers and more. It comes by truck, with a professional driver behind the wheel. Truck drivers, like others who lack the option to work from home, are continuing to move goods and emergency supplies while the rest of the world hunkers down.

An added challenge for truckers right now is access to basic necessities such as meals, restrooms and urgent medical care. While they are accustomed to less than ideal working conditions, (low pay, long hours and extended time away from family are the norm) they now struggle to find safe places to park, eat and rest. They are even denied basic human decency by businesses forbidding them to use restrooms. Detention times at shippers and receivers have increased, creating even more delays and long lines to get loaded or unloaded.

As for the coronavirus itself, if drivers get sick while on the road, they might be able to visit a clinic at a truck stop. But test kits are few, and many drivers lack health insurance. Places to self-quarantine are nonexistent, as parking was already in short supply before the pandemic began, and drivers are often operating thousands of miles from home.

Like all of us, truckers worry about bringing home the illness to their families, and preventative aids such as masks and gloves are hard to find. Let’s hope the truckers keep moving, for all our sakes — and let’s not forget they will still need much more than thanks once the applause dies down and we all get past this phase of the crisis.

Mainstream media have showered praise on truckers and other critical workers for manning the front lines during the coronavirus outbreak. Messages have popped up all over social media with phrases such as “Thank the truckers,” while restaurants have stepped up to help feed America’s road warriors.

Beyond memes and pats on the back, how can we truly thank them? How about we start with better compensation when the dust settles?

Pay for truckers has failed to keep pace with inflation since 1980, effectively slashing these workers’ wages by nearly a third. The average truck driver earned $38,618 in 1980, which would equate to $128,050 in 2020. Good luck finding a trucker bringing home that much today.

Most drivers are not paid for their time but only for miles driven or piecework, and they are unreasonably exempt from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Training is usually lacking as well, with as little as one day needed to obtain a commercial driver’s license.

Delivering life’s essentials safely and on time should not be taken for granted. It takes dedicated and well-trained professionals to make it happen. While truck technology has improved greatly over the decades, not much else has improved for drivers. We need these exceptional people not only in emergencies, but every day.

This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "After the COVID-19 crisis, truckers will still need better pay and working conditions."