Page 28 - ATR 2 2020 digital

that give you a sense of normalcy in tizer and other household items loaded
an abnormal time. They are delivering on trucks. I was proud to be there
products we all usually take for granted. watching. We have 650 drivers, and
These same trucks, and the men they all rallied to do what needed to be
and women who drive them, will also done. And while they drive, they also
“HURRICANE KATRINA deliver masks and gowns to hospitals have personal worries about being so far
WAS THE ONLY THING and vaccines to temporary health care away from their own families.”
stations set up in parking decks. They
Gabe Stephens runs C.C. Jones
THAT WAS EVEN CLOSE will bring respirators to hospital ships Trucking in North Little Rock. His
TO THIS, BUT THAT and food to nursing homes. The drivers grandfather came home from World
WAS ONE MARKET AND are professionals that you likely don’t War II and started the company. On
a normal week, his refrigerated trucks
notice in a busy gas station as you fill
THIS IS EVERY MARKET. your coffee cup, but right now, that are moving fresh and frozen chicken
RIGHT NOW, WE WORRY industry, and those people, are worth to California before coming home with
LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, thinking about. produce. In the past few weeks, grocery
Professional truck drivers on good
BUT WE ARE DOING roads are part of a much larger supply stores sell out of chicken as soon as
it’s put on shelves. Stephens says, “Our
WHAT WE SIGNED UP chain, and right now they are helping customers are food service companies
TO DO, TAKE CARE hold everyday life together for us. That and grocery stores. With restaurants
OF PEOPLE.” might sound like an exaggeration, but I closed, the food service business is
down, but the grocery business is
don’t think it is. When normal people
are fighting over toilet paper and hoard- running full blast.”
—GARY MARS, ing rice, the Arkansas-based truck driv- Like every other business owner in
PROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVER, ers who bring you necessities should not America, Stephens is working to find
WALMART TRANSPORTATION be taken for granted. innovative solutions to new problems,
“We wanted to get sanitizer wipes for
QUIET HEROES the drivers, but you just can’t find
One of the veteran Walmart driv- those, so one of our food suppliers gave
ers bringing necessities to customers us thousands of the wet wipes used in
is Gary Mars. Over tens of millions of seafood restaurants. We have restricted
everything else. During the worst miles, drivers for Walmart have just visitor access to our facilities and taken
national health crisis in decades, the about seen it all. But in 17 years with other safety precautions, but we hope
American supply chain was working. the company, Mars has never seen any- drivers are still fairly low risk because
While I wandered around look- thing like the pandemic, “Hurricane they are naturally working alone.”
ing for tuna fish and bread, a young Katrina was the only thing that was
Walmart associate stocking soup cans even close to this, but that was one WHEN FUNDAMENTAL
smiled and said, “Sir, can I help you market and this is every market. Right THINGS WORK
find anything?” Her kindness was now, we worry like everyone else, but we As executive director of the
touching as it occurred to me that this are doing what we signed up to do, take Arkansas Good Roads Foundation, I
woman was the friendly final step in care of people.” speak to people all the time about why
a sophisticated supply chain designed On the night CNN started call- roads matter. I talk about job creation,
to bring my family food, prescription ing the crisis a pandemic, Leslie Stout, safety, congestion and the need to pro-
drugs and cleaning supplies. the director of safety at Little Rock- tect local control and local funding.
As bleak as life seemed at that based CalArk International, was in the But on that recent late-night trip into
moment, it was reassuring that only two Atlanta airport watching coverage of the my neighborhood market to get routine
miles from my home the supply chain deteriorating situation and realized her things like dishwasher detergent and
was holding up better than Wall Street. truckers were about to play a key role in provolone cheese, I understand it’s so
It’s working because as you read keeping the country afloat. much more than that. Truckers and a
this, thousands of trucks are on the A few hours later, she landed in functioning supply chain can calm a
road. They are on wide interstates, two- Charlotte and drove to a CalArk termi- scared nation. It’s about an industry full
lane county roads and city streets. They nal in Raleigh. Arriving at the terminal, of people who are away from their own
have just pulled out of Des Moines, she watched her company already fully families, trying to bring you the basics
and Fort Smith, and Tulsa, and they engaged, “Standing on the loading dock
are bringing your family basic items in the dark, it was inspiring to see sani- 

28 Issue 2 2020 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT