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Drivers ‘on their own’ if they have to self-isolate

Carriers and medical clinics struggle to develop protocols for drivers who have COVID-19

Image: Jim Allen/FreightWaves

As coronavirus infections spread across the country, truck drivers are finding themselves stranded without a clear protocol for what to do if they think they might have COVID-19. 

Although CDC guidance calls for all individuals who think they have symptoms to quarantine or self-isolate, the directive is not so easy to follow when the driver is hundreds of miles from home, can’t stay in a hotel for 14 days for fear of infecting others, and has a load that must be delivered as quickly as possible.

Contributing to the problem is that many truck stop medical clinics are not offering coronavirus testing. And even if drivers do get tested, it can take one to three days to get results.

Trucking groups are “struggling to find a system for quarantine — how to assess if drivers are well enough to stay at home, and how they are going to get supplies,” said Ross Castile, director of marketing for DOT STOP Urgent Care, an independent medical clinic in Plymouth, Indiana.


“It’s pretty much a nightmare,” Castile said.

Without clear guidance, many carriers are developing their own plans for managing driver illness as well as supply chain impacts.

Rick Williams, CEO of Central Oregon Truck Co., told FreightWaves he is currently working on “a robust policy of guidelines regarding how to manage various scenarios.” He declined to reveal specifics.

Summarizing a few responses she has received from carriers, Jana Jarvis, head of the Oregon Trucking Associations, said protocols vary depending on where on the route the driver begins feeling sick, and how sick they are, but includes having them deadhead home if they are close and immediately quarantine themselves.


Some carriers are arranging for drivers to see a doctor and secure lodging and hospital services while on the road, Jarvis said.

An email from David Robinson, a partner with Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary, echoed some of these principles. Generally speaking, carriers should “separate” the driver from the load as soon as possible, he said.

“This would involve instructing the driver to halt in place and by sending another driver in another truck to pick up the trailer and continue the delivery.” Safety professionals would then need to interview the driver to determine his or her ability to return to the terminal.

If the company feels confident that the driver has symptoms but is otherwise physically qualified to drive, they can instruct the driver to return the truck to the terminal and then return home.

But if the carrier is “in any way” not confident in the driver’s ability, the company should tell the driver to seek immediate medical attention, Robinson wrote.

One of the major stumbling blocks associated with coronavirus planning is lack of accessible medical facilities for drivers to keep the industry working during the crisis.

Ninety percent of truck stop clinics are staffed or maintained by chiropractors doing physicals, said Bob Stanton, head of Truckers for a Cause. “Chiropractors can’t do anything for you.” 


Founded in opposition to sleep regulations, Stanton’s group is putting together a list of truck stop or semi truck-accessible medical clinics that would be able to serve drivers with COVID-19 symptoms.

It’s a frustrating task, he said.

Plus, although a growing number of clinics offer telemedicine services allowing the driver to call in from the road, “the problem is once the doctor says you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, you’ve got to get someplace to self-isolate.”

At that point, he said, drivers “are on their own.”

Mirroring the challenges facing the country at large, lack of testing continues to stymie industry efforts to contain and control the virus.

David Smerina, owner of Infinity Medical Services, a clinic located next to a Petro truck stop in Bordentown, New Jersey, said he has been trying to contact the state health department about securing testing kits “but it is hours on the phone and no one answers,” he said.

Once he procures the kits, Smerina plans to set up a testing site outside the clinic, pending Petro’s approval. He hosted a similar program couple of years ago testing for hepatitis, he said.

Castile’s clinic has ordered coronavirus kits, and once they arrive, a testing facility will be set up in the clinic parking lot. A new telemedicine service went live today, he said.

For their part, carriers developing protocols are zeroing in on one common directive — “They all have a plan in place to recover the truck,” Jarvis said, including isolating the vehicle for a period of time “before having it cleaned and sanitized.”

13 Comments

  1. Evis Makon

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  2. Noble1

    Quote:
    Dr. Oz delivers message to Trump, coronavirus task force: ‘Get us these pills’

    GOOGLE IT !

    Stay tuned , we’ll see . Trump wants to get the economy rolling again .

    I believe a “cure” would indeed potentially cause an upward price move(proregressive) but not an economic reversal per se . However , it would certainly remove the health panic .

    In my humble opinion .

  3. Noble1

    Quote:

    “Man dies after ingesting chloroquine in an attempt to prevent coronavirus

    The man and his wife thought the ingredient, used to treat sick fish, could prevent the disease.

    March 23, 2020, 5:22 PM EDT / Updated March 23, 2020, 5:53 PM EDT
    By Erika Edwards and Vaughn Hillyard

    An Arizona man has died after ingesting chloroquine phosphate — believing it would protect him from becoming infected with the coronavirus. The man’s wife also ingested the substance and is under critical care.

    The toxic ingredient they consumed was not the medication form of chloroquine, used to treat malaria in humans. Instead, it was an ingredient listed on a parasite treatment for fish.

    The man’s wife told NBC News she’d watched televised briefings during which President Trump talked about the potential benefits of chloroquine. Even though no drugs are approved to prevent or treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, some early research suggests it may be useful as a therapy.

    “We were afraid of getting sick.”

    The name “chloroquine” resonated with the man’s wife, who asked that her name not be used to protect the family’s privacy. She’d used it previously to treat her koi fish.

    “I saw it sitting on the back shelf and thought, ‘Hey, isn’t that the stuff they’re talking about on TV?'”

    The couple — both in their 60s and potentially at higher risk for complications of the virus — decided to mix a small amount of the substance with a liquid and drink it as a way to prevent the coronavirus.
    “We were afraid of getting sick,” she said.

    Within 20 minutes, both became extremely ill, at first feeling “dizzy and hot.”
    “I started vomiting,” the woman told NBC News. “My husband started developing respiratory problems and wanted to hold my hand.”

    She called 911. The emergency responders “were asking a lot of questions” about what they’d consumed. “I was having a hard time talking, falling down.”

    Shortly after he arrived at the hospital, her husband died.

    On Monday, Banner Health, based in Arizona, said the couple took the additive called chloroquine phosphate.
    The couple unfortunately equated the chloroquine phosphate in their fish treatment with the medication —known by its generic name, hydroxychloroquine — that has recently been touted as a possible treatment for COVID-19, which has infected more than 42,000 people in the U.S. and killed at least 462.

    Dr. Daniel Brooks, medical director of Banner Poison and Drug Information Center, said in a statement: “Given the uncertainty around COVID-19, we understand that people are trying to find new ways to prevent or treat this virus, but self-medicating is not the way to do so.”

    On Friday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control pleaded with its people not to engage in self-medication with chloroquine, as it “will cause harm and can lead to death.” The country had reported at least two such poisonings.

    The Food and Drug Administration has not approved chloroquine to treat the coronavirus, and studies of its safety and effectiveness are just beginning.

    The Arizona woman now warns others to listen to medical professionals for the best coronavirus advice.
    “Be careful and call your doctor,” she said.

    “This is a heartache I’ll never get over.”

    End quote !

  4. Noble1

    Here’s an example :

    I will quote an article headlined :

    Hydroxychloroquine, a less toxic derivative of chloroquine, is effective in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro

    Quote :

    “We have recently reported that two drugs, remdesivir (GS-5734) and chloroquine (CQ) phosphate, efficiently inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro1”

    NOTICE , I AM NOT “REPORTING” SUCH !

    I AM QUOTING A REPORT ON THE SUBJECT !

    In regards to “accreditations” regarding the QUOTED reported study ,

    Quote :

    “Acknowledgements
    We thank Professor Zhengli Shi and Dr. Xinglou Yang from Wuhan Institute of Virology and Professor Fei Deng from National Virus Resource Center for providing SARS-CoV-2 strain (nCoV-2019BetaCoV/Wuhan/WIV04/2019); Professor Xiulian Sun for kind help in statistical analysis; Professor Zhenhua Zheng for kindly providing the anti-LAMP1 rabbit polyclonal antibody; Prof. Zhengli Shi for kindly providing the anti-NP polyclonal antibody; Beijing Savant Biotechnology Co., ltd for kindly providing the anti-NP monoclonal antibody; Min Zhou and Xijia Liu for their assistance with this study; Jia Wu, Jun Liu, Hao Tang, and Tao Du from BSL-3 Laboratory and Dr. Ding Gao from the core faculty of Wuhan Institute of Virology for their critical support; Professor Gengfu Xiao, Professor Yanyi Wang and other colleagues of Wuhan Institute of Virology and Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory for their excellent coordination; and Dr. Basil Arif for scientific editing of the manuscript. This work was supported in part by grants from the National Science and Technology Major Projects for “Major New Drugs Innovation and Development” (2018ZX09711003 to W.Z.), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31621061 to Z.H.), and the Hubei Science and Technology Project (2020FCA003 to Z.H.).”

    How is that for “accreditations” ??? LOL !

    Furthermore, if you have been listening to the news , the USA & Canada have also reported that they are conducting studies on Hydroxychloroquine to combat the COVID-19 virus due to its successful results REPORTED in Asia .

    QUOTE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC dot gov

    Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

    “Hydroxychloroquine is currently under investigation in clinical trials for pre-exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and treatment of patients with mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19. In the United States, several clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis or treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection are planned or will be enrolling soon.  More information on trials can be found at:  clinicaltrials DOT gov/ ”

    So we’re talking about drugs that already exist and testing them on infected patients by accredited professionals to combat something else(Covid -19) other than which they are typically used for .

    QUOTE: There’s drug combo to shorten coronavirus, French researchers say

    “HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine,” tweeted President Trump on Saturday.”

    Stay Tuned !

    Now even if the President says X , it doesn’t mean that a “reasonable” person should run out and buy X and consume it blindly !

    That’s why people need to be careful when they say certain things . This world is populated with unreasonable people and now some in a state of panic . Since then we have seen deaths and poisonings being reported due to some acting in unreasonable ways when hearing or reading about something . One needs to use their brains and consult their doctors if they intend on using any sort of medication for any reason .

    If carrots were reported to be a cure , you need to be reasonable in the amount you consume to prevent poisoning yourself , even though they are simply natural carrots !

    In my humble OPINION(wink)

    1. Noble1

      Quote:

      Don’t trust Trump’s coronavirus ‘cure,’ says widow of man poisoned by chloroquine

      “A newly widowed Arizona woman in intensive care is urging Americans to take medical advice from doctors — and not U.S. President Donald Trump — after her husband died from swallowing a form of chloroquine the POTUS touted as a coronavirus “game-changer.”

      End quote .

      The President Trump stated to look into it and also stated that it was BY PRESCRIPTION ! Which means that you need to consult a doctor and the doctor needs to approve that any drug they intend to prescribe could be beneficial for you BEFORE prescribing it .

      That being said , doctors are not perfect and they can make mistakes too . Therefore it is even recommended to consult more than one doctor and get more than one professional medical opinion .

      This unfortunate incident which lead to a loss of life is based on the one(s) consuming it being naïve , imprudent , and completely ignorant . The consumer(s) has only themselves to blame for their ignorance . Furthermore it wasn’t even a prescribed drug !

      Quote:
      “The toxic ingredient they consumed was not the medication form of chloroquine, used to treat malaria in humans. Instead, it was an ingredient listed on a parasite treatment for fish.”
      End quote.

      And she wants to blame Trump ??? Wow ! That woman is a danger to herself and she killed her husband due to her negligence . She misinterpreted what Trump said , didn’t consult a doctor , and didn’t consume a prescribed medication under the recommendation of a DOCTOR ! She consumed something that she thought resemble something she heard on TV .

      Quote:

      “The name “chloroquine” resonated with the man’s wife, who asked that her name not be used to protect the family’s privacy. She’d used it previously to treat her koi fish.
      “I saw it sitting on the back shelf and thought, ‘Hey, isn’t that the stuff they’re talking about on TV?’”

      You can’t cure stupid !

      In my humble opinion ………….

  5. Ron

    Anyone who thinks they’ve got a cure for Covid19 should provide a link to their medical degrees or STOP GIVING PEOPLE ADVICE BASED ON NOTHING BUT RUMOR AND TALK SHOW IDIOCY!!!!

    1. Noble1

      #1- Nobody is giving anyone curing “advice” according to what I have read on Freightwaves .

      #2- You don’t have to be a “doctor” nor a pharmacist to cure a disease etc .

      #3-You do need to be accredited when suggesting cures PUBLICALLY , and they need to be scientifically proven .

      #4- You do not need to be accredited to quote others , whether they come from doctors , pharmacists , chemists , peter pan or mickey mouse .

      #5-You can express your “opinion” by publically commenting , just be vigilant when expressing oneself concerning certain matters especially matters in the medical field .

      EXAMPLE Concerning touchy subjects : In the Medical field or any other : If not accredited , then quote someone that is . Then leave your opinion based on that quote . IMPORTANT ! Always state it’s in your opinion since doing such IS A DISCLAIMER !

      Be wise , many are not !

      In my humble opinion ……….

  6. Stephen Webster

    Many homeless people in Toronto have signs of C19 but are not being treated or tested. The Ontario Health Care system is at the breaking point. I have lived with the homeless and seen Ontario cuts to health care. Many doctors and nurses are very scared. Truck drivers are on their own with very little support. Truck drivers need to be very careful.

  7. Secret

    Zinc and tonic water are the stuff I heard that’s effective against conoravirus-19.. michaelsavage talked about tonic water having the malaria drug in it that’s effective and Infowars talks about zinc

    1. Noble1

      YOUTUBE :
      Coronavirus Epidemic Update 34: US Cases Surge, Chloroquine & Zinc Treatment Combo, Italy Lockdown

      Be extremely careful with Chloroquine side effects . One needs to consult their doctor . IMHO

      Canada is looking into hydroxychloroquine .

      YOUTUBE :
      Coronavirus Pandemic Update 35: New Outbreaks & Travel Restrictions, Possible COVID-19 Treatments

      ———————————————————————————————————————–

      13 Coronavirus Facts You Don’t Already Know
      Quote:

      “Coronavirus has cousins.

      According to an article from the Coronavirus Study Group (CSG) of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, which has not yet been peer reviewed, COVID-19 is a variant of the coronavirus that caused the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002-2003. As a result, its official name is: severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2. It’s also a relative of the coronavirus Middle East respiratory syndrome, also known as MERS, which surfaced in the Middle East beginning in 2012.”

        1. Noble1

          Nature DOT com

          Quote :
          “Hydroxychloroquine, a less toxic derivative of chloroquine, is effective in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro”

          Google it !

          Furthermore , hydroxychloroquine sulfate (Plaquenil)

          Plaquenil-Hydroxychloroquine sulfate 200mg Film-coated Tablets

          CONSULT A DOCTOR . Overdose and secondary effects can lead to poisoning and death .

          YouTube :
          Coronavirus Pandemic Update 41: Shelter In Place, FDA Investigates Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19

          In my humble opinion ………..

          NEXT !

          1. Noble1

            Well would you look at that , HA !

            Go to the doctorOz website .

            Then check out :
            The COVID-19 Pandemic: How Long Should the U.S. Stay in Lockdown? The Infected Virus Hunter’s Warning

            Dr. Ian Lipkin, who was just diagnosed with COVID-19, weighs in on reopening the country.

            Then listen carefully to what Lipkin states he’s using to combat the coronavirus .

            Here’s a hint ,

            Here’s a short cut by using the link below :

            “The Coronavirus Pandemic: How Is Famed Epidemiologist Dr. Ian Lipkin Treating His Covid-19?

            Dr. Oz Asks Renowned Epidemiologist, Dr. Ian Lipkin About His Decision To Treat His Covid-19 With The Malaria Drug Hydroxychloroquine. ”

            What did he say he was using @ 29 seconds ???

            Drum roll please ………………. Plaquenil

            BUT even he consulted a physician(doctor) before doing so !!!

            In my humble opinion …………..

Comments are closed.

Linda Baker, Senior Environment and Technology Reporter

Linda Baker is a FreightWaves senior reporter based in Portland, Oregon. Her beat includes autonomous vehicles, the startup scene, clean trucking, and emissions regulations. Please send tips and story ideas to [email protected].