America on Wheels
By Brandon Lopez
May 13, 2020
Amidst the growing concern and ruthless nature of the coronavirus, the world has seemed to be at a standstill since its infamous introduction. Precautionary measures have been taken since plenty of states have mandated stay-at-home orders back in early March. All non-essential businesses have shut down in response to combat the spread of this pandemic that seamlessly crept up on our nation.
Overnight, resources were drained, there was no food, water, and essentials pertaining to common bathroom needs. Small businesses like mom and pop shops near and far were closing their doors for what would be forever in unfortunate situations.
As doctors, nurses, and other valiant essential workers gear up day and night to contribute what they can in efforts to settle things down, the unsung heroes are at rest.
“When you start your day you want to be well rested, you want to be prepared before you go out somewhere like Washington, you don’t want to be tired when you’re on the road. You want to get there safely and get home safely,” truck driver Omar Castro said.
Castro has been in the trucking industry for four years and counting, it was something he didn’t envision growing up. He had his sights set on joining law enforcement to become a police officer but discussed how his life’s journey brought him behind the wheel.
“Mostly because of my pops, I had other ideas but life takes over, the trucking industry was better. Saving money and less risk is what I was after,” Castro said.
In an industry that consists of over 1.8 million men and women working as big rig drivers across the country, there is still a shortage of drivers. Tens of thousands more drivers are needed to ship goods and meet the demands of major companies such as Amazon and Walmart. Yet, drivers wake early, working day and night to supply the demand needed to keep the flailing economy going.
“It brings work. Provides work. It gets the world moving,” fellow truck driver Brian Echegaray said in a phone interview.
Echegaray notes why the industry is struggling to find drivers and it is quite simple: the lifestyle is rough. He details that life on the road is not easy, that it’s one that is not cut for everyone and with the lack of respect they’re given, he sees why some would shy away from the position.
Que in a deadly virus that has swept across the nation infecting over 1.38 million Americans, it only adds to the risk factors they endure on a daily basis. The shortage of supplies has been the ramification of this virus, which in turn increases these drivers’ work loads in order to supply the needy demand from the greed of its consumers.
“We put our lives at risk. We’re still dealing with the elements with the people that are sick. We might be working and interacting with people who might have symptoms. We’re still out here, what’s the difference between me and other people in quarantine. I still have to provide, at the end of the day I got bills to pay,” Echegaray said.
Despite shipping the United States’ most essential goods through trucks and cargo ships, then onto retailers who redistribute them to consumers, the lack of acknowledgement leaves a bitter taste. The feelings of being seen as throwaway people that no one cares about and are often looked at as trucks that pollute the environment and the only purpose is to clog the lanes with traffic, is the boiling point.
“On the road we want respect, we would like to be held more professionally, they think of us as dirty people. There are some professional drivers out there who really care about what they’re doing,” Castro said.
With the raging pandemic, the hazards have only instilled obstacles to their occupation that make them question if the risk is worth the pay.
“The rates could be better, we should be making more than we’re supposed to. They give us a lot of restrictions in our driving times, it’s hard to drive somewhere and make money with the regulations we got,” Echegaray said.
Although both Castro and Echegaray have played the cards they have been dealt in the trucking industry, they both remain optimistic that this pandemic will shed light to their professions and their significance in the industry. The silver lining of this pandemic to them is that people realize what is wrong in the world and what is important, especially in regards to family.
Respect and acknowledgement both on and off the road is all that they ask for, so that their jobs are easier and safer for everyone on the highway, for that they too have families they need to get back home safely to.
