Today's Pickup: Workhound Platform Reveals Driver Concerns Over COVID-19

Good day,

The WorkHound driver feedback platform keeps truckers and company management in sync to improve driver retention rates. During the coronavirus emergency, the system offers insights into the way drivers feel about  COVID-19. According to the Workhound team, the virus now comprises a significant percentage of overall driver-to-management communications. Here are a few stats and comments showing how drivers are feeling about the pandemic:

Twenty-five percent of communications have been dedicated to planning concerns, with drivers wanting to know that carriers have a protocol in place for what to do with the truck if they get sick. Twenty-three percent of the comments revolved around sanitation – what precautions companies are taking to ensure equipment is safe and sanitized. Twelve percent of communications reflected concerns about the benefits their companies offer. "With the COVID-19 going around, and us drivers constantly out in the public, it is scary to think that we don't have any sick days or PTO time," said one driver.

Six percent of communications revolved around challenges accessing necessities.  

"Truckstop restaurants are being closed. This puts a large strain on drivers' health and well-being if we cannot eat, we cannot operate efficiently," according to one driver.

Around 30,000 truck drivers across the U.S. offer feedback through the Workhound platform.

Did you know?

The U.S. Senate passed a $2 trillion coronavirus rescue bill that includes almost $60 billion in aid for the airline industry, including all-cargo carriers, and $10 billion for airports, primarily to preserve jobs until economic activity returns to normal. (Via FreightWaves)

Quotable

"People are appreciating truck drivers a little more than they used to. I think we're getting back to truckers as ‘knights of the road.'"

Darlene Johnson, Co-owner, Woodland Truck Line (via FreightWaves)

In other news

Amid coronavirus, Walmart Inc WMT says it's seeing increased sales of tops , but not bottoms

COVID-19 videoconferencing is boosting clothing sales for the retail giant – mostly of shirts and sweaters. (Yahoo)

A contactless gas station from Booster, a mobile fuel provider, provides no-touch gas delivery to help limit spread of COVID-19

The full service fueling station is operating out of a Target parking lot in San Mateo, California.

Nike optimizing supply and demand daily to weather coronavirus storm

The footwear giant's "coronavirus playbook" features a digital-first distribution strategy and strict cost management. (Supplychaindive)

Tesla says two employees at its Fremont factory test positive for coronavirus 

Tesla kept the factory open for several days despite shelter-in-place orders first made by San Francisco-area counties and then the governor. (TheMercury)

Final thoughts,

Logistics companies are passing on added costs associated with COVID-19 to shippers. UPS has instituted a surcharge for International Air Freight services to "support the demand and needs of customers," a spokesperson told FreightWaves. DHL will apply an "emergency situation" coronavirus surcharge, effective April 1.

Hammer down, everyone!