Coronavirus Chronicles: David and Debbie Urquhart, Challenger

For David and Debbie Urquhart, a husband-wife owner-operator team, the biggest difference when it comes to life on the road during this pandemic is taking extra precautions and practicing social distancing.

“We’re just staying in the truck more,” David Urquhart told Today’s Trucking from the truck near Cincinnati, Ohio. “Just one of us goes into the truck stops. We stay in the truck as much as we can.”

Debbie and David Urquhart, Challenger Motor Freight (Supplied photo)

The Urquharts feel fortunate that they don’t have young children at home and they don’t have to worry about picking up Covid-19 and bringing it home to family. When they get back from a trip, they order groceries online.

“We’re together all week in the truck,” Urquhart said.

The team’s business has been steady – in fact, it has picked up since the outbreak. What is usually an empty southbound trip was recently loaded with 34,000 lbs of freight.

Urquhart said he practices social distancing while at shipper/receiver facilities. Instead of visiting with dockworkers, he keeps his distance. Urquhart hasn’t had any issues finding food and restrooms at the truck stops, but said they’re all adapting their business practices and enforcing social distancing. Border crossings have been a breeze, and rest areas haven’t been packed as they were before the outbreak.

Nighttime traffic is way down, but overall truck traffic seems steady, he said. He’s grateful for his company keeping him constantly informed about the crisis.

  • Coronavirus Chronicles tell the trucking industry’s personal stories from the front lines of Covid-19. They are drawn from the ongoing coverage at www.trucknews.com.
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James Menzies is editorial director of Today's Trucking and TruckNews.com. He has been covering the Canadian trucking industry for more than 24 years and holds a CDL. Reach him at james@newcom.ca or follow him on Twitter at @JamesMenzies.


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