Gagandeep Baidwan on Front Line Workers that Ensure Your Products Make it Safely to You

Photo of author

(Newswire.net — October 21, 2020) — In the time of COVID-19, as more and more people practice social distancing, the heroes that deserve our praise are the essential workers at the front line. The freight industry workers are some of those unsung heroes who put their lives at risk so that you get your food and medical supplies delivered to your stores and even right to your doorstep.

Gagandeep Baidwan of Plano, Texas, has managed his own trucking company for a number of years now. His company has been affected by the health crisis and the economic aftermath. The freight industry has changed, he says, not just because of the pandemic, but also due to the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, from the use of electronic logs to the higher costs of doing business, including the cost of diesel, insurance, and taxes. Seeing how truckers and workers in the freight industry are risking all to support the economy, they need all the help and appreciation they deserve. 

The Essential Driver

To say that the driver behind the wheel of the truck is an essential worker is an understatement. While the other workers from those who sort the cargo to those who load and unload it are also essential heroes, the driver still plays a major role in this process. There are road hazards, health risks of in-person contact, and pressure of deadlines and delivering the freight on time, notes Gagandeep Baidwan. 

This is why many trucking companies took the initiative to show gratitude to the truck drivers who work tirelessly around the clock in the most adverse conditions under the shadow of the pandemic. This includes painting trucks in various colors to support essential workers in different industries and delivering messages of support to those same essential workers, be they the nurses, drivers, or the men and women who stock the grocery store shelves, gratitude and appreciation go out to every person who plays a role. 

Gagandeep Baidwan on Appreciation for Front Line Workers

It doesn’t matter how small or big the part front line workers play in these unusual times. Everyone who leaves the safety of their home and ventures into a pandemic hot spot to deliver medical supplies or food or even the mail deserves to have their place under the spotlight. “I want to show everyone in my company how valuable they are,” explains Gagandeep Baidwan, “not just to the company, but to society as a whole. What the truckers and workers in the trucking business are doing is important to bring back a sense of normalcy to people’s lives at a time when everything seems so stressful.”

The idea of using trucks and trailers as advertising banners that send a message of hope and appreciation to all essential workers is not a new one. It has been used before at times of crisis like after 9/11. But what makes it especially powerful this time is that the whole country is impacted by the pandemic. There’s not a single home that hasn’t been affected by it. So, when a truck or a trailer rolls down the roads across the country carrying designs that praise essential workers, that will be a reminder down the years of their heroic efforts. 

Trucking companies have also done their part to make people’s lives much easier, from delivering cargo and much-needed supplies free of charge, to sending trucks to pandemic hot spots where only a few would dare enter. Every truck that delivers a cargo is alleviating the suffering of hundreds if not thousands of people in that area. So, in a way, one cannot overestimate the importance of truckers and all the workers in the transportation industry in our lives today, notes Gagandeep Baidwan.

The Essential Truck

Needless to say that the truck itself is also at the heart of the trucking business. It’s right there in the name. Without the trusty truck, all these tons of cargo would be collecting dust somewhere in a warehouse thousands of miles away from where they are needed. But, that’s not the only role that the truck and trailer play in this process.

According to Gagandeep Baidwan, some companies used their trucks and trailers to raise funds for essential workers. This goes beyond the act of praising those heroes and tries to give them back in a way that actually helps. Some of these funds were used to buy protective gear and PPE for the essential workers, including truckers and workers in the trucking industry.

All over the country, events are being dedicated to thanking truck drivers. They are called “Thank a Trucker” events and are an opportunity for the general populace to give back to the men and women in the trucking business who put their lives on the line every day. This includes not just donating money, but also offering free meals to truckers along their routes. At some stores, truckers get gloves, masks, and even decals free of charge as a token of appreciation for their efforts.