Life on the open road has become rather difficult for long-distance truck drivers hauling between Canada and the U.S. amid the coronavirus pandemic.

By
The Trucking Network
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With limited access to places to eat, shower and re-supply, many have put their lives on hold to ensure Canada’s supply chain remains open.

“I made the decision, I haul groceries,” says Josh O’Keefe, who hauls mostly produce for Bell City Transport in Brantford, Ont. “People need groceries.

“I’ve been to the grocery store where there’s been nothing, and when I left two weeks ago to go work, I made the decision that I’m not going back to the East Coast until it’s done.”

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The 35-year-old trucker, who has three children and lives in Moncton, N.B., said he decided to stay on the road due to COVID-19 and the need to restock grocery store shelves across the country.

Putting his own life on hold, O’Keefe says he’ll go into isolation only after the country rebounds from the pandemic.

In Whitby, cross-border drivers dropping at the Sobey’s Distribution Centre have been granted limited access to facilities and, according to a notice obtained by Global News, have been told to stay in their trucks, all in an effort to manage the risks associated with COVID-19.

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