Good
day,
The St. Christopher Truckers Relief
Fund (SCF) has announced a $50,000 donation from C.H. Robinson (NASDAQ: CHRW). The donation is one of the largest SCF has ever received, the
organization said, and comes at a time when resources are being stretched thin,
“Alongside all the healthcare
workers, truck drivers on the road right now are true heroes, battling this
virus on the frontlines,” Dr. Donna Kennedy, SCF executive director, said.
“Within the next two weeks we expect to see a significant increase in truckers
contracting the coronavirus, many of whom do not have healthcare coverage or
the financial means to support their families. This is going to be a major
problem for everyone, including the drivers, the industry, the economy, and
Americans across the country.”
The St. Christopher Truckers
Relief Fund provides
resources and financial assistance to truck drivers and their families who are
out of work due to illness or injury. SCF also provides health and wellness programs.
“The pivotal role that truck
drivers play in keeping our economy moving has been made even clearer in recent
weeks as we have faced the COVID-19 crisis. We are proud to play a role in the
incredible work St. Christopher Fund is doing to support the driver community,
as they continue to get us the supplies we all need during this difficult
time,” Angie Freeman, chief human resources and ESG officer, and president of
the C.H. Robinson Foundation, said.
SCF noted that truck drivers are at
increased risk due to the numerous touchpoints in their day, from human
interaction at delivery and pickup points, to pens, public restrooms and visits
to truck stops and travel centers.
Truckers needing assistance from
SCF may apply by clicking here. To donate to SCF’s mission to support truckers and their
families in financial need, click here, or contact Shannon Currier at shannon@truckersfund.org.
Did you know?
Economist Thomas
Fullerton predicts U.S. towns near the Mexican border, which rely heavily on
trade between the nations, could see unemployment north of 20% by June.
Quotable:
“Our technical
leadership knew it was capable and when we started seeing shortages we said.
‘Wow, maybe this is an opportunity for us to fill a void.’”
– Amy Davis, vice president of Cummins Filtration, on the company’s ability to take material used in filtration products as feedstock for N95 respirator masks.
In other news:
Amazon postpones Prime Day
Amazon Prime Day has been postponed
until at least August, according to reports. The day, or in the case of last
year, days, traditionally boosts freight volumes in July. (Retail Dive)
Rush hour is no more
One positive to come out of the
COVID-19 is that those who need to travel are doing so faster as fewer cars on
the roads have resulted in increased highway speeds. (Bloomberg)
Car makers extend shutdowns
Fiat Chrysler and Honda are
extending their U.S. plant closures into May. Both companies had expected to
restart production next week. (Wall Street Journal)
Shippers moving to rail, trucks in Europe
The volatile cost of airfreight is
forcing some European shippers to move to trucking and rail services to move
goods. (The Loadstar)
Canadian National cutting rail capacity
Canadian National is eliminating
some capacity due to declining volumes now and the potential for low volumes
into 2021, it said. (Financial Post)
Final thoughts
The low price of diesel fuel may be
coming to an end as oil markets have trended up in the past two days on news
that Russia and Saudi Arabia are close to working out their differences and
cutting oil supplies. Diesel dropped another 3-plus cents last week to just
$2.58 nationally.
Hammer down, everyone!
