Name: In COVID-19 crisis, supply chain workers are putting in overtime too | Nightline
Uploaded: 2020-03-27T18:12:31.000Z
Duration: 9 min 27 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Jamil Cromwell has been driving trucks for more than a decade, ever since he came back from a tour in Afghanistan with the Army National Guard.

So you've heard the call of duty for your country before?

Yes, and yet in many ways, you guys are the frontlines keeping the right way.

We're one of the essential people out here today.

He's delivering deli supplies a job these days that's not without risk, but with my microphone keeping a socially distant Jamil tells me his worries lie elsewhere.

Inside this massive warehouse at Stew Leonard's, a family owned grocery chain in Danbury, Connecticut, packed crates.

Tom and Rico has worked here for over 40 years, but he says he's never seen anything like Covad 19 out.

They just came out of the works and buying everything you have way.

Over the past few weeks, at least 46 states have closed their schools, and millions of Americans have been ordered to stay home.

Look at our country's supply lines, meeting the off for gotten men and women on farms and in fields, truckers hauling goods on the open road and grocery workers and cashiers, all unexpected foot soldiers.

Essential workers on the front lines in our battle against this pandemic, each day before the first line has broken farm workers from Florida to Wisconsin, heading to harvest vegetables, part of the more than 64 a half 1,000,000 tons of produce produced every year.

That's nearly £400 per person, many working despite their fears, like this woman who asked to remain unnamed coming.

Our business is essential to the food supply.

A lot of people in their work, they can work from home.

Unfortunately, farmers don't have that privilege.

In Florida, Jamie Y Zingers family has operated lipping family tomato farms for four generations.

They're now facing down the challenges of covert 19 1 by one, implementing social distancing on the fields.

We're reducing the size of our work crews.

Then we realized that people have to go cash their checks and We don't want people all getting on a bus together and going into a bank to go cash their checks.

We are trying to reduce the amount of trips that they have to go into town for the lie groceries or do the laundry.

But communicating new covitz safety rules to farm workers, often migrant laborers poses unique challenges.

Most of these people are not in their homes, their here in another country, working for us in our community that are many indigenous languages.

Gerardo Raya Chavez has worked the fields for more than two decades.

He uses whatever means necessary to make sure the workers understand.

We need to use methods of popular education so everyone understands what we're talking about.

So there's drawings that have bean posted in different places in the community.

Nothing arrives on our store shelves without the three and 1/2 1,000,000 Americans who are truckers working round the clock day and night.

In this time of crisis, it's about 6 40 It's lightly snowing here.

I'm headed back to Chicago from Kentucky way many truck drivers taking it upon themselves to protect their health.

Richardson, from Kansas City, Kansas, has significantly altered the way she operates day Today.

I have a whole decontamination procedure.

I always love up anything I might have touched during delivery.

Despite all the challenges, Britney says, America's newfound appreciation for her line of work keeps her going.

I get Facebook passengers posts of people.

Hey, I just wanted to thank you so much for being out there.

It's a driver, and I know it means a lot to hide their drivers well.

But the nationwide lock down is disrupting drivers basic needs, with some rest areas, closing bathrooms and restaurants restricted.

Right now, you're in the back of my tractor, honey for Sharif, a k a knee.

Funny is driving hundreds of miles from Georgia to Florida.

I've made it toe Florida, and it's still pretty normal, still busy here in Wildwood, Florida Good morning.

It's time to start my day, so I'm about to go inside of the truck, stop shower and get me something.

Truck stops quiet social business dining area nearly deserted.

Fresh Driver's lounge is closed until further notice.

But thankfully, the shower's still in service.

I like to write in my grandma as she overcomes the obstacles.

Sharif counts her blessings, and I'm grateful that I am an essential worker like you work at a time like this.

Todd Spencer is president of the owner operator, Independent Drivers Association and a former trucker himself.

Can you reassure people that that supply line is going to stay open?

Well, as long as there's product move, believe me, there will be drivers.

Drivers always come through, and they will this time, too.

To keep supplies running, drivers need to stay healthy.

Are you worried all about the health or the safety of your drivers?

They are certainly aware that there'll be a higher likelihood that they will be exposed.

That's why here, just off the interstate in Knoxville, Tennessee, this urgent care clinic is providing evaluations and cove in 19 testing a lot more trucks way been able.

Thio get all the appropriate PP, so they were able to see them in this room without having any exposure to the rest of our patients.

Grocery workers have begun testing positive for Kobe 19 as well, raising concerns among some workers that they, too, need protective gear.

Who heads the family grocery business, is worried about the health and safety of both his employees, and his customers were putting pieces of plexiglass up the register so that you can, you know, have some distance.

I'm trying to get the bombers where I can actually take your temperature when they come in.

How do you reassure jittery Americans that the nation's food supply is safe?

Well, I have a lot of confidence in the food.

I mean, I've dealt with a lot of the farmers We buy direct from a lot of people, and I've talked to him personally on the phone and they said, Look, we'll get you the food Dave Lindsay has worked here for 28 years, but lately his job has taken on new meaning.

We've always practiced wearing gloves, but since the holes Kobe 19 issue.

We make sure everybody's wearing them, not the issues bigger than just may.

It's a country thing, you know, everybody's.

There's a lot of things going on in the country.

People need a police that they could rely on to give them the proper service and do the right things for him.

Our customers come in seeking us out way, have great relationships with our customers, and we're happy to be able to give the product that they haven't been able to get lately.

When something like this happens and you see you know, everybody pull together and work as a team, it's awesome.

It's a great feeling, our sincere Thanks to the millions of people working through this crisis, we hope you all stay safe.