Here in Australia we have been very concerned about the series of border closures which have threatened to disrupt the trucking economy, we haven’t looked overseas, but truck border problems are global during this pandemic.
This video was taken of massive queues up to 60km long for trucks trying to cross the border out of Poland. Unheralded controls to slow the spread of the coronavirus froze traffic at borders across Europe as the continent grappled with the virus. Scenes like this prompted the population to assume supermarkets would shut down and panic buying ensued, putting further pressure on an already overwhelmed trucking industry.
In this second video, truck drivers do not know how long they are going to be stuck for at the border between Tanzania and Kenya, demonstrating truck border problems are global:
Trucking in Australia has had its problems in recent weeks with constantly changing requirements for truck drivers crossing the borders, with new regulations coming in over the weekend. However, there has been a recognition of the essential nature of trucking at the heart of the economy.
“Transport is an essential service and it is encouraging that the Victorian Government is doing a power of work and working with the freight industry to ensure we can continue to operate safely and productively,” said VTA CEO Peter Anderson, earlier this week. “The Premier clearly gets that the nation cannot afford to shut down because of what’s happening in Victoria.
“Since coronavirus took hold in February, the transport industry has shown leadership and adapted its systems and processes to be able to safely and efficiently service the needs of customers and consumers and keep supply chains moving. As Victorians prepare for further restrictions to their lives and livelihoods, we urge them to heed the advice of state and Commonwealth jurisdictions so that we can reduce community transition and start to get our economy back on a positive footing as soon as possible”
