Kateryna Bandura, for New Pathway – Ukrainian News.
Truck drivers are an essential service through the pandemic. Through day and night many drivers continue delivering good while meeting punishing timelines and varying precautions across Canada. Truckers put their health on the line multiple times a day to provide Canadians the supplies they need to support and care for each other and feed their families.
Canada’s Energy Citizens (CEC), an advocacy program from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), has teamed up with the B.C. Trucking Association to buy 100 meals for truck drivers in the Prince George, B.C., area.
“Truck drivers are providing crucial services to B.C. communities, so it is incredibly heartening to have Canada’s Energy Citizens step up to sponsor 100 meals for truck drivers at Smokey J’s Smoked MMMeats for our food truck launch at the Prince George card lock,” said Cory Paterson from the B.C. Trucking Association.
The B.C. Trucking Association is coordinating the Meals for Truckers program. The initiative, launched on April 8, aims to thank truck drivers for ‘keeping Canada moving’ during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides support for professional truck drivers on the road, who are having difficulty accessing food due the closure of restaurants and services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The BC Trucking Association, in partnership with Parkland Fuel/Chevron, helps to ensure truckers have access to hot meals and washrooms.
Currently, many of the 18-wheel drivers can only stop where big parking lots are located. Typically, there are rest areas along the highways for truck drivers to stop at and take a break. Right now, a lot of these areas are closed to the public and the trucking industry. Smokey J’s food truck set up at the Chevron Cardlock fuel station to serve the trucking community.
“There will be an opportunity to order using a speaker, and then the food will be put out on the counter and it will be picked up without having to touch or exchange,” said Jack Middleton, one of the organizers.
In order to maintain proper physical distancing during the event, plexiglass shields have been installed on the food truck and patrons will be required to stand six feet apart in the line-up.
For the first week of operations, the food truck limited the guests to truckers, and after April 15 opened to the general public.
“We’re proud to have made a small difference on behalf of Canada’s Energy Citizens,” said the CAPP news release. “We want everyone to know that they can make an impact by supporting truckers and by using the hashtag #thankatrucker.”
Due to the overwhelming response from the industry to support the Meals for Truckers program, a website has been created and will provide details of service locations to drivers as well as invite food truck vendors to provide their service. Sponsor support to provide meals for a day or more is also available.
With files from CAPP
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