Three major truck stop chains will require face coverings at all travel plazas, following an urging by NATSO for companies to adopt a nationwide policy to protect employees and customers during the COVID-19 pandemic that has led to nearly 150,000 U.S. deaths.
Pilot Flying J travel stops began requiring masks on July 28. Love’s Travel Stops and TravelCenters of America (TA) will start requiring masks on July 29. The move affects more than 1,500 truck stops across the nation.
Because COVID-19 can spread from asymptomatic people, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has urged all Americans to wear face masks to reduce the spread.
NATSO, which represents the nation’s truckstops and travel plazas, encouraged truckstops and travel plazas nationwide to adopt a policy requiring customers to wear face coverings or masks to protect the health and safety of employees and customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization also noted that differing mask requirements in various locations created confusion for professional drivers.
“In many parts of the country, we are seeing a growth in the number of cases, so we expect that more states, cities and counties will mandate masks,” said NATSO President and CEO Lisa Mullings. “While we understand that there is disagreement about whether to mask, we are urging members to follow the advice of medical experts, including the CDC. We have a patriotic duty to guard the health of our employees and customers and believe this is an easy way to get the U.S. economy moving during this unprecedented global pandemic.”
NATSO also urged associations representing the trucking industry, including the American Trucking Associations (ATA), to encourage all professional drivers to wear masks.
“It’s time once again for our industry to lead and show our country how to get the job done. This pandemic is a crisis not of our making, but overcoming it requires each of us doing our individual part,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Masking is the simplest and most effective way to defeat this virus, and ATA strongly encourages all fleets to adhere to mask requirements in private truck stops and public rest areas.”
In a statement about the new policy, the Pilot Co., which operates Pilot Flying J travel centers, said it was vital for truck stops to stay open and safe while providing fuel, food and amenities to drivers. “We join the travel center industry in this effort to ask everyone to do their part in protecting against the spread of COVID-19 to help ensure that our team members, professional drivers and other essential workers stay safe and are able to keep providing the goods and services that North America depends on,” the statement read.
The Department of Homeland Security declared truckstops and travel plazas as essential businesses in its Guidance on Essential Critical Infrastructure workforce to ensure that travel plazas and truckstops could keep America's truck drivers on the road delivering supplies throughout the country.
"We are joining other retailers by implementing a face-covering policy for customers, and will continue to follow the guidance of health officials and adjust our practices to help keep our customers and team members safe," said Shane Wharton, president of Love's, which operates Love's Travel Stop, Love's Country Store, Love's Truck Care, Love's-owned hotel and Speedco locations. "We want to thank our customers who continue to adapt to these protective measures implemented at Love's."
Tina Shaerban Arundel, TA’s corporate communications manager, told FleetOwner: “TravelCenters of America is adopting NATSO's recommendation that truckstops and travel plazas nationwide adopt a policy requiring customers to wear face coverings or masks to protect the health and safety of employees and customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The major truck stops all stressed that they were working to keep everyone at their businesses safe during the pandemic by regularly sanitizing surfaces, adding protective shields at registers and encouraging social distancing.
