The drivers of this economy: Long-haul trucking in the pandemic
The drivers of this economy: Long-haul trucking in the pandemic
There are forces, like supply and demand, that drive this economy. But there are also the literal drivers of this economy — the people who get everything from vaccines to food to auto parts where they need to go.
The trucking industry, like much of the economy, has been thrown for a loop by the COVID-19 pandemic, with some drivers experiencing increased demand while others search for cargo to haul.
Kearsey Rothlander is an over-the-road truck driver, or long-haul driver, who also has a YouTube channel called “Truckin Along With Kearsey.” Rothlander spoke to “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal about the trucking economy and life on the road during the pandemic.
The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.
Kai Ryssdal: Seeing is how you’re a trucker and on the move all the time, Where have we tracked you down today?
Kearsey Rothlander: Today I’m in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, on the border of Pennsylvania and Maryland. It is 48 degrees and beautiful.
Ryssdal: Well, good. How is the trucking business? Here we are, like 10 months into this pandemic. I mean, so much of everything in this economy moves by truck. How are you all doing?
Refrigerated freight
Rothlander: Honestly, we’ve had ups and downs, but it’s been more a matter of the change of freight as things were not in demand, and then at higher demand than something else. I have food. I haul reefer, which is the refrigerated unit, so food. So we’re always in demand, no matter what.
Ryssdal: Yeah, yeah. So one of the reasons we wanted to talk to you was to get a sense of life on the road for truckers in the middle of a pandemic, and to talk about the role that truck stops are playing in this economy right now. Because all y’all are on the road a lot. You have to stop. You want familiarity. You’ve got some go-tos, right?
Rothlander: Absolutely. When the pandemic first hit, one of the things that the [transportation departments] in each state did was shut down the rest areas. But that’s where we go to the restrooms. And then they shut down the parking. There’s already not enough parking in this country for our trucks. The trucks’ trailers keep getting larger and larger, but the truck stops themselves don’t expand out. Another thing that’s really important is that so many women are coming into trucking pretty much every year. The women coming out here is increasing by about 19% per year. As time has moved on — I’ve been driving for five years — the products are starting to change in the truck stops, including pregnancy tests.
Ryssdal: Oh, wow. Yeah, of course. Right? Of course. You know, it’s so interesting. You say only been driving for five years. You sound, with all possible respect, like you’ve been out there forever, because you clearly have a handle on what’s going on. How do you decide where to stop and what your route is? I mean, do you pick your route based on truck stops?
Favorite truck stops
Rothlander: Well, I pick my route based on, honestly, what’s going to get me there the faster. I stay on the interstates most of the time, and I pick the truck stops — yeah, I will say yes, I will go this route because of a certain truck stop. So Travelers’ Oasis in Eden, Idaho, that’s one of my favorites, just because the truck stop is so big, they’re clean. And there are only four truck stops in America, I have found, that have bathtubs. OK, I’m serious. When you come out on the road, you don’t know what you’re gonna miss until you get out here.
But you said, you know, as a driver, how did I learn so much about trucking, because this is a really serious job. I laugh about it a lot, but if I make one mistake, I could kill somebody. And that goes into playing with the truck stops, believe it or not, it’s 2 o’clock in the morning after I’ve driven 600 miles and I’m exhausted. I don’t want to fight for a parking space. It’s not easy to back these up, you know. And we have so many brand-new drivers coming in every year, and one of the biggest stresses for them is parking and backing.
Ryssdal: No, I hear that. So there you are on the border of Pennsylvania and Maryland, which way you headed and what do you suppose the next, like, six or eight months of this pandemic is gonna bring for you and your business?
Rothlander: Well, I am headed not that far from here, about 140 miles to go deliver this load and then I’m going home. I have not been home to New Jersey since the election in November. But my trucking company gave us a big $800 bonus just for staying out through the month of December to try to keep up with the demand. So I’m going to guess that the freight is going to be there. So you can’t really guess it what’s going to happen. But I know I’m gonna have a job.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
