Since my flatbed load from Norfolk to Florida got cancelled (2nd straight load to get cancelled), I was happy to find an Amazon load from Richmond to Jacksonville.
This would be tough since I would have to wake at 1am to fuel, shower and drive down to the distribution center in Chester. And this was a rush COVID-19 order so it would be a straight run on 95 to Florida.
Since Amazon has prioritized products to its fulfillment centers, it is mostly shipping medical supplies and household staples like sanitizers, mask and toilet paper. With a COVID-19 load, my House of Service would be waived.
These are the products that Amazon considers critical:
- Baby Products
- Health & Household
- Beauty & Personal Care (including personal care appliances)
- Grocery
- Industrial & Scientific
- Pet Supplies
Since many people are staying home, Amazon has prioritized these items to be shipped directly to the doorstep.
I’ve never driven from Richmond to Florida non-stop and I came close here. Actually, I could have easily done it especially since the the highway was clear. You saw truckers, but not the usual trail of snowbirds in their RVs.
I actually stopped in Darien, and Mom delivered some delicious homestyle cooking to me. I didn’t have much time to rest especially since the load needed to get to grocery store shelves and finally in the hands of consumers who are depending on this for survival.
Normally when I deliver for Amazon, I come into contact with 3-5 people (sometimes with workers inside the fulfillment centers). This time, Amazon was enforcing social distancing and I didn’t even need to come out of the truck when checking in with security.
