ARKANSAS, USA — This comes in an effort by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to distribute one million protective masks to law enforcement agencies throughout the country for distribution to commercial truckers.
“Our officers are glad to be a part of this massive effort to distribute one million masks to truck drivers who are traveling our nation’s highways and keeping our supply chain operational during the pandemic,” stated Arkansas Highway Police Chief Jay Thompson. “We appreciate that FEMA supplied the masks, and our state partners are working together to ensure the masks reach America’s truck drivers at our rest areas and weigh stations.”
State and local partners, in conjunction with FMCSA, continue to assist in the distribution of the masks to ensure that they are supplied directly to truck drivers who are maintaining the nation's supply chain during the coronavirus pandemic.
Arkansas was the first state in the country to receive and begin distributing the masks.
“We are happy be a part of this effort to support the commercial transportation industry in Arkansas. This emergency has truly opened the eyes of many about how important the role of a truck driver is to this country,” said Lorie Tudor, ARDOT Director, “In addition, at the suggestion of the Arkansas Trucking Association, we have granted permits to food truck operators to provide hot food to truck drivers in designated Arkansas rest areas. We want to do our part during this crisis.”
Patrol Officer Marc Winkler told 5NEWS he has been handing out masks for almost a week and is looking forward to handing them out in the weeks to come.
“We’re giving out masks and offering masks to all the truck drivers that come through. We were given approximately 42 cases consisting of 500 masks each," Winkler said.
Malcolm Williams, a trucker from Mississippi, said he was blown away by the giving nature of the officers in Arkansas.
“It dawned on me like wow they’re giving out masks,” Williams said.
Williams was not only excited for himself and fellow truck drivers, but for everyone they come in contact with.