Today's Pickup: Distillery Helps Truckers Stay Safe As It Drops Moonshine For Hand Sanitizer

Good day,

A Canadian distillery that makes West Virginia-inspired moonshine is helping truck drivers and other front-line workers stay safe by producing high-strength hand sanitizer.  

Murphy's Law, based in Ontario, is supplying several fleets – Challenger, Seaboard Freight and Erb Trucking – with 65% strength hand sanitizer.

"We've got to keep the trucking industry moving," distillery owner Ben Murphy told FreightWaves.

The 900-milliliter bottles come in handy for truckers doing long-haul routes, he said.

Other customers include police agencies and hospitals that are struggling to secure hand sanitizer amid a surge in consumer demand and hoarding. 

Did you know?

UPS is stepping up its efforts to scale up drone delivery operations in the U.S. The company is working with Germany's Wingcopter, a startup specializing in vertical takeoff and landing drones.

Quotable:

"I feel almost guilty how easy my job has been to do during this crisis."

–  Truck driver Henry Albert on the lack of traffic on the roads during the coronavirus pandemic.

In other news:

Global air freight traffic plunged in February

The International Air Transport Association is set to report that global air freight traffic fell by about 10% in February. (New York Times)

Iowa truckers get free lunch as a thank you

The Iowa Motor Truck Association gave out free lunches to drivers as a gesture of gratitude for their efforts to keep vital goods moving. (Siouxland Proud)

McDonald's rolls out new ordering system for truck drivers

Fast-food giant McDonald's Corporation MCD is launching a new ordering system for truckers that allows them to order while maximizing their safety from COVID-19. (Business Insider)

Drivewyze adds Pennsylvania rest stop closure alerts

Drivewyze will notify Safety Notification users of closures of Pennsylvania rest areas. (Trucking Info)

Final thoughts:

The coronavirus pandemic has put Murphy Law's core business and a major international expansion on hold. The distillery was preparing to ship 150,000 jars of its West Virginia-inspired alcohol to Europe to begin a seven-figure contract with the international supermarket chain Carrefour.

That shipment had already been delayed because of rail blockades in Canada in February and March.

Hammer down, everyone!