News roundup, March 23: Navistar halts truck production; Uber Freight offering meal credits, sanitation kits to small carriers

Updated Mar 24, 2020

Trucking news and briefs for Monday, March 23, 2020:

Uber Freight providing Uber Eats credits, support on COVID-19 relief loads
Uber Freight on Monday announced three initiatives meant to aid carriers and drivers hauling loads in relief of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. All drivers hauling loads booked through the Uber Freight app will receive a weekly $20 credit towards the Uber Eats meal delivery service. Likewise, the company says it’s providing thousands of sanitation kits to small carriers (those with fewer than 12 trucks) using Uber Freight.

Lastly, all relief loads booked through the Uber Freight app — those listed by FMCSA in its emergency declaration — will be zero-profit pricing to Uber Freight, meaning shippers won’t pay Uber Freight for moving relief loads through its platform.

Navistar suspending truck production amid coronavirus pandemic, Daimler remains open
Navistar International Corp. announced Monday it is suspending production at its truck assembly plant in Springfield, Ohio, for at least two weeks in response to supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Navistar joins Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks North America who each Friday morning announced they were shutting down facilities in Macungie, Pennsylvania, Dublin, Virginia or Hagerstown, Maryland through this Friday.

Daimler Trucks North America, in a letter widely distributed Friday, said all its manufacturing facilities in North America “are in task force mode to maintain the continuity of our operations. The supply chain continues to be relatively stable, allowing us to continue to deliver trucks on time. So far this month, our on time-delivery rate continues to be at a very high level. The environment is changing rapidly and we are adapting every day,” the company wrote.

CVSA webinar to cover COVID-19 roadside inspection safety
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance will host a webinar Wednesday, March 25, to address questions about safety as it relates to roadside inspections during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Partner Insights
Information to advance your business from industry suppliers

The webinar, titled “The Trucking Industry’s Guide to Infectious Substances and COVID-19,” will offer personal protection and decontamination guidelines, as well as inspection guidelines and more.

The webinar will be held from 12-1 p.m. Central time Wednesday. Registration is available online here.

Love’s moving all self-serve dining options to full-service
Love’s Travel Stops announced that as of Monday morning, all of its self-service roller grills, coffee/drink bars and delis have been converted to full-service. The change means that only Love’s employees will service products like hot dogs, coffee and fountain drinks. The company adds it is changing out grill tongs and fountain nozzles every 30 minutes.

Additionally, at Love’s locations with three restaurant options, one will close, and all other restaurants will move to modified business hours to allow for an overnight closing. New restaurant hours will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time to accommodate for enhanced cleaning protocols.

The Business Manual for Owner-Operators
Overdrive editors and ATBS present the industry’s best manual for prospective and committed owner-operators. You’ll find exceptional depth on many issues in the 2022 edition of Partners in Business.
Download
Partners in Business Issue Cover