What Does A Quarantine Due To Coronavirus Mean For Truckers?

Hows flatbed freight Old School?

So far mine is keeping me very busy...

That's my gross pay on my last paycheck. If I were to extrapolate my numbers from this first quarter, I'd be on pace this year to make almost 100,000 dollars. Will that hold up through the rest of this year? I wish I had a crystal ball that could show me the results of this Great Mitigation Experiment we're walking through. If I did, I'd give you a more definitive answer.

My opinion is that flatbed freight will probably slow up somewhat. The attrition rate caused by the lack of commerce affects everything. It breaks up our supply chains and causes unexpected havoc in places we can't always anticipate. When manufacturing slows, the movement of raw materials slows, markets soften, and demand decreases.

The economy will recover, but the timing of that can only be guessed at right now.

I said at the beginning I sense one of the greatest financial opportunities in my lifetime developing in this. I still see that and am acting accordingly. If a dumb blue-collar truck driver can see that, then whoever is behind this certainly has a huge financial incentive in what they're doing. I don't know where we are heading with all this, but somebody holding the strings in this puppet show stands to gain either some real power, or money, and probably both.

This is what more and more people are beginning to realize. Publicly almost everyone is saying the right things, the safe things. That's because most people aren't true leaders. Politicians aren't true leaders. Leaders don't just say whatever it takes to make themselves popular. True leaders will tell you exactly what you need to know and make decisions based on doing what's right, especially when it's unpopular or misunderstood.

Privately, almost everyone I talk to has been thinking for a while that there is more going on here than just a virus but they're afraid to say so. I get that. Most people have little to gain by voicing this opinion. They'd rather get along with the crowd than try to lead the crowd and risk alienating themselves or taking the heat for having an unpopular opinion.

I don't have a ton of time this morning to dedicate to this, but I have enough to get some thoughts out there.

The idea of having everyone stay home/6 feet apart and such is to prevent the spread of the virus. People who do contract the virus might feel fine for several days before they "come down" with it. In those five days the chances jump up for its spread, even though the "sick" person still feels fine and doesn't realize they might be helping to spread the virus. So the effort to get people to say inside is a way to eliminate one way the disease gets transmitted.

Again, great theory, but in practice, especially the way we're practicing it, it doesn't work. A virus is a force of nature. The only way you can truly stop it is 100% isolation, which is obviously impossible. Otherwise, stopping a virus is like stopping the rain or the wind or the ocean tides. It spreads through the air and on physical objects. The theory that we'll bring our lives and our economy to a dead halt to prevent this from spreading clearly isn't working.

If this virus was truly, truly dangerous in the way that we're reacting to it, many millions would already be dead. Many millions.

It's interesting how many people recite back what the news tells us without thinking about their own experiences or looking into the facts for themselves.

That is if you are catching the strand that is causing pneumonia-like symptoms.

All flu-type viruses can lead to pneumonia. In fact, the main reason people "die from the flu," which almost no one does, is because the flu can lead to pneumonia which is far more deadly. Here are some quotes from articles that were written long before coronavirus:

How Does the Flu Become Pneumonia?

While many sick with the flu tend to recover within two weeks, some people can develop complications.

One of those complications can lead to pneumonia. According to Everyday Health, one-third of pneumonia cases develop from a respiratory virus, with the flu the most common of those.

Even if you’ve only contracted a mild case of influenza, the infection can severely weaken your immune system. Keep in mind that the virus even keeps your body from correctly taking in air.

According to Shape, the flu constricts and inflames the airways in your body. This would then, “slow down the movement of air and hinder your ability to clear mucus and secretions.” This inflammation can cause an increase in your body’s mucus production.

A buildup of bacteria would then form in your healthy body. Although the body would usually be able to fight the buildup away, influenza changes that. With a weakened immune system, your body may not be able to get over the foreign bacteria and viruses.

This is how those with influenza can easily turn their flu into something much worse — pneumonia.

Now this is from another article What Is The Connection Between Influenza and Pneumonia?

Influenza (flu) is a highly contagious viral infection that is one of the most severe illnesses of the winter season. Influenza is spread easily from person to person, usually when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Pneumonia is a serious infection or inflammation of the lungs. The air sacs fill with pus and other liquid, blocking oxygen from reaching the bloodstream. If there is too little oxygen in the blood, the body's cells cannot work properly, which can lead to death.

Influenza is a common cause of pneumonia, especially among younger children, the elderly, pregnant women, or those with certain chronic health conditions or who live in a nursing home. Most cases of flu never lead to pneumonia, but those that do tend to be more severe and deadly. In fact, flu and pneumonia were the eighth leading cause of death in the United States in 2016.

Again, none of this is new or unique to this virus. I'm looking into many different things related to this virus right now. I'll have more information soon.

As I understand it, specialty day-cab carriers such as Sysco are tailored more towards end-user retail and restaurant chains which, as JuiceBox points out, are taking a huge hit right now.

OTR carriers including myself at WM are largely serving the grocery chains and DCs, which are killing it atm due to panic buying.

I got furloughed from sysco a bit ago. I feel it

Make sure to file unemployment. You'll get your state unemployment and an additional $600 a week from the feds through your state for four months.

Oh I already recieved my first $740 on Friday. (Minus 15% witholding). I don't know when an extra 600 would start

To get your first unemployment check that quickly would be ... unusual :) How long ago did you file and in what state? My girlfriend applied three weeks ago and is still waiting on her first check.

The good news for you about the $600 a week is that once it starts it will be backdated to when you filed. So you should get a lump sum to catch up.

Keep us posted as to how it turns out.

I took advantage of struggling car sales and bought myself my first new car a 2020 Ford Explorer got a great offer on my trade and good terms on the loan since new car sales have died.

The down side is the last 14 hours I have been feeling crappy so I locked myself in my room to make sure I do not infect the rest of the family. It is probably a sinus problem since I am not coughing and don't have a runny nose, unfortunately everyone bought all the thermometers in town so I can not take my temperature.

Interesting article and now proof that the any death is being lumped as corona

CDC guidance for corona

“COVID-19 should be reported on the death certificate for all decedents where the disease caused or is assumed to have caused or contributed to death. Certifiers should include as much detail as possible based on their knowledge of the case, medical records, laboratory testing, etc. If the decedent had other chronic conditions such as COPD or asthma that may have also contributed, these conditions can be reported in Part II. (See attached Guidance for Certifying COVID-19 Deaths)”

Politicians and the media are simply inflating the numbers, and lying to us ( my comment would be “ as usual”)

Keep rolling, I hope to be there with you as soon as the DMV opens and I can get rolling too.

Interesting article and now proof that the any death is being lumped as corona

CDC guidance for corona

“COVID-19 should be reported on the death certificate for all decedents where the disease caused or is assumed to have caused or contributed to death. Certifiers should include as much detail as possible based on their knowledge of the case, medical records, laboratory testing, etc. If the decedent had other chronic conditions such as COPD or asthma that may have also contributed, these conditions can be reported in Part II. (See attached Guidance for Certifying COVID-19 Deaths)”

Politicians and the media are simply inflating the numbers, and lying to us ( my comment would be “ as usual”)

Keep rolling, I hope to be there with you as soon as the DMV opens and I can get rolling too.

This also further explains the high mortality rate in Italy:

The way in which we code deaths in our country is very generous in the sense that all the people who die in hospitals with the coronavirus are deemed to be dying of the coronavirus.

But:

On re-evaluation by the National Institute of Health, only 12 per cent of death certificates have shown a direct causality from coronavirus, while 88 per cent of patients who have died have at least one pre-morbidity - many had two or thre

Telegraph Article on Italy's Mortality Rate from COVID-19

I'm waiting, with great anticipation, for Brett's revelation as to the real agenda behind this global panic.

These numbers are completely misleading IMO. The deaths are inflated and also instantly tallied and reported. While the recoveries take two consecutive negative tests to deem an individual recovered. The false positive/negatives, the lag time of receiving results, and people with no symptoms or mild symptoms whom are never tested and just recover at home, you just can't go off the numbers. I suspect there are many more recovered than what is reported because the criteria is BS and the deaths are severely inflated.

Meanwhile, American citizen's natural rights are being stripped away and there are many Americans who want this. They are crying for martial law and mandatory closures of businesses. "Arrest those who do not comply with the shelter in place orders," is what they say. Did we forget what it took to gain the rights we have? Did we forget how many died in the many wars and civil rights movements? Did we forget what America was and continues to be built on?

This is a disgrace.

A bigger thing I think about are Zombies.

A bigger thing I think about are Zombies.

After the first month, it still is.

A bigger thing I think about are Zombies.

After the first month, it still is.

But what if the Zombies have Covid-19!?