Canadian truck driver Nicole Folz began suspecting she had COVID-19 as she prepared to make her final less-than-truckload delivery in South Carolina last week, some 14 hours from home in Ontario.
The sore throat and dry cough she noticed after she crossed into the U.S. had gotten worse. On April 8, she felt that she might have a fever. Breathing became harder, too. And she had lots of pain.
A thermometer she purchased on April 9 confirmed she had a fever of 101.3. By the time she blew a tire near Washington, Pennsylvania, on her backhaul, she had a fever of 102.2.
It got much worse from there. She required supplemental oxygen by the time she arrived at Etobicoke General Hospital in Toronto on April 10, after crossing the border and dropping off her tractor-trailer. Fluid had started to fill her lungs.
“I never felt that sick before in my entire life,” Folz told FreightWaves from a hotel serving as a federal quarantine facility near Toronto as she recovers from a suspected — though not confirmed — COVID-19 infection. Public health nurses visit her regularly and the Red Cross provides meals.
Since the onset of symptoms — that she thought were a cold — she made three deliveries, waited nearly 21 hours for a backhaul, and safely got her rig back to Canada while following public health protocols upon her return.
Folz, 26, is among the thousands of truck drivers who continue to move freight between Canada and the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. No amount of personal protective equipment and precautions can eliminate the risk of infection or how and when it might hit.
“One word of advice I can give any of my fellow truck drivers: Have a plan!” Folz wrote in a 600-word Facebook post that chronicles her experience. More than 16,000 people have shared it. “It went viral,” Folz joked.
Folz’s experience also offers a cautionary tale for truck drivers and carriers: Make sure everyone is on the same page.
“I want other drivers to have that conversation — be proactive — and ask the company, if I fall sick on the road, what should I do?”
Folz, like many drivers, had been keenly aware that the job exposed her to greater risk for COVID-19.
Her previous LTL run involved stops in Detroit and Chicago, areas with far more severe outbreaks. Folz had been sleeping in her truck during her returns to Canada to avoid exposing her father, who lives with her.
“It probably goes without saying, but it takes a lot of confidence to get into a truck and go across the border,” said Shawn Backle, operations manager at Folz’s carrier, Ontario-based Transport N Service.
If tests confirm Folz has COVID-19, the onset of symptoms suggests she may have gotten it while picking up medical supplies in Chicago a week earlier.
Truck driver says messages ‘a clear cry for help’
Folz powered through as her symptoms worsened. She delivered her final load wearing gloves and a face shield, and slathering on copious amounts of hand sanitizer. She then waited almost an entire day for her backhaul.
“I did my due diligence while protecting the health of others and myself,” Folz said.
Missing was a plan for getting Folz home despite messages and calls to her carrier and conversations with public health nurses in Canada.
“I thought my messages were a clear cry for help,” she said.
Backle said the company is reviewing its internal procedures and that clearly there was a breakdown in communications during her trip.
“It’s saddening for this to have happened,” Backle said. “I wish we had had all the information about her situation. The help is here. The sad part with Nicole is we didn’t realize that she required help after it appeared that she had it already. There was a disconnect,” Backle said.
A clear plan of action only emerged after Folz reached out to another truck driver, Shelley Uvanile-Hesch, who also runs the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada.
Uvanile-Hesch began raising the alarm with federal and provincial officials, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Soon, calls started coming from officials at Transport Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
A well-coordinated effort subsequently took place to preclear Folz’s freight. She showed her passport against the window for the CBSA officer and proceeded to drop off her tractor-trailer.
From there, she drove her car straight to the federal quarantine facility. Going home would have been too risky for her father.
Ultimately, Backle said he is proud of Folz.
“I applaud her for how she handled this,” he said.
Asked how carriers and drivers should respond if a driver gets ill on the road, a spokesperson for Transport Canada pointed to a set of guidelines it released earlier in April addressing commercial vehicle operations and COVID-19.
“The document builds on the latest guidance developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency, and other recognized public health authorities,” Transport Canada spokesperson Simon Rivet told FreightWaves in an email.
“It offers public health information, as well as tips on disinfection, hand-washing, and self-monitoring to limit the spread of COVID-19.”
But the guidelines do not lay out a clear protocol for a situation like the one Folz faced.
Doctor calls for more testing of drivers
Dr. Johnathan Davids, the medical director of DriverCheck, a leading provider of drug and alcohol testing and occupational health services for Canadian trucking companies, told FreightWaves that COVID-19 is forcing difficult choices upon carriers and drivers.
“It’s all about managing risk,” he said.
Davids said he would like to see more testing for cross-border drivers, particularly as rapid and reliable test kits become available.
“If we had more widespread testing, we’d probably be better off,” Davids said. “If you have a good objective test to know in 15-45 minutes if this person is actually clear, you can sequester and prevent widespread infections.”
It also would potentially identify asymptomatic cases before drivers hit the road.
‘I still love this job’
Folz was still waiting for the results of her coronavirus test as of Friday, nearly a week later. Regardless of the result, doctors told her to expect to be retested because of a significant rate of false negatives.
She also can’t leave the quarantine facility for another week under orders from a federal public health official.
Folz has been a truck driver for only about a year. She lost her first job at Hyndman Transport in December after its corporate parent, Celadon Group, shut it down as Celadon filed for bankruptcy.
Folz plans to get back on the road after her quarantine ends — though after taking an additional week to recover.
“I still love this job,” she said.
In the meantime, she applied to receive a CA$2,000 emergency monthly benefit from the federal government — less than half what she’d earn while driving.
“That barely covers my bills,” she said.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect new information from Folz. She confirmed she had a fever on April 9, rather than April 8 as originally reported.
Update: Tests subsequently confirmed that Folz had COVID-19.
Oliver
Truck drivers, groceries stores and healthcare workers are the heroes during this pandemic
Jarod Strain
Traveling from coast to coast I’ve actually encountered other drivers who are sick – know they’re sick – and are throwing on a mask and keeping you on because financially they don’t feel they really have a choice.
They’re putting other people at risk, and yet you can’t help but sympathize. The United States does not have the kind of benefits available in other countries.
If you stop driving, you can wait a few months and hope that $1,200 check comes in. You can apply for unemployment, which could take a month or more, and hope you don’t get a letter from the state saying that you qualified but they are out of funding.
It’s easy to point fingers at somebody when you’re not in that situation. It’s easy to realize that somebody is doing the wrong thing for society, spreading a serious disease. For that matter, in the US at least there are tens of millions of people who don’t believe the disease is real and don’t believe anyone is dying from it. After all there’s a conspiracy for everything under the sun.
A harder thing is being in a bad situation, on a lonely highway, and realizing for the first time that no one out there has your back.
Make sure you have a plan? Oh yeah. Because that’s probably all you’re going to have.
Noble1
Jarod I get your point . I sympathize with those caught up between a rock and a hard place . This pandemic isn’t making things easy on anyone per se .
Awhile back before this viral outbreak came to life I commented in regards to truck drivers uniting and creating an Alliance to improve upon their circumstances collectively . Realistically and obviously not everyone is candidate material .
I also stated that the reason for which this hasn’t occurred is based on the fact that truck drivers haven’t suffered enough . I said it would take something extremely negative to occur that would effect everyone tremendously .
On a broadcast of “What The Truck” on Freightwaves I was quoted by a prior broadcaster on that remark that went by the last name of Prevost . He said : “But that’s what truckers are saying , they’re all suffering due to a lack of good rates ” .
No that is and was not enough !
THIS PANDEMIC is however . It affects everyone and it has also brought truck drivers to the center of the stage due to the service that they provide . You’re in the limelight ! However , NOW most are indeed suffering and those that are currently transporting essentials are putting themselves at a greater risk while hardly being paid adequately for that increased risk .
Some of you are getting infected by a deadly virus . Nobody really knows the effect it can have on them . This is quite painful psychologically and even frightening .
However, my point is that if this pandemic doesn’t wake you guys & gals up , then I really don’t know what will . This is an opportune moment for you truckers to get closer in the sense of reviving that camaraderie among yourselves and having each others back . This isn’t a time to “compete” with one another . This is a time to come together and beat this thing through unity . That’s step 1 , coming together .
Then brainstorm on how you can improve your circumstances . Don’t wait for someone to come and save you . Take the bull by the horns and collectively figure out how you can collectively improve your situations , and I mean everything that affects you .
A plan ? You bet that’s what it takes ! A plan to earn more , a plan to influence government , a plan to cut out the middlemen , a plan to become self sufficient even during a lockdown , a plan where your health will not be sacrificed to earn a buck etc etc etc .
Nobody can force you guys to do this except for dire circumstances such as this one .
Remember , beautiful flowers and food grow out of manure . I like that analogy because even sh*t can be used as a fertilizer from which something nice can grow from . This pandemic crisis is your fertilizer . What are you truckers going to do with it ? Complain and say that it stinks , or use it as leverage to create something positive ?
When life throws you a lemon , make lemonade .
In my humble opinion …………..
John
A few people are right. She knew she had the symptoms. Instead of protecting other people from spreading she still decided to keep driving and probably was in contact with other people. She should had called her dispatch head headed to a quarantine area immediately. But, she was thinking about the $$ and not about people’s lives
Noble1
Thank goodness she wasn’t driving as a team . If one gets infected on the road, they’ll automatically infect the other team mate . I wonder how many team drivers have actually thought about that .
Asymptomatic cases are the most dangerous in regards to transmitting the virus . I definitely wouldn’t be driving as a team .
Furthermore , some of those who have tested positive and obligated to quarantine for the recommended minimal 14 days are reporting continuous symptoms up to and beyond 30 days .
We definitely need massive testing without the need for symptoms to be present in order to be tested . Once a person is tested positive and quarantined , they should be retested before being allowed to circulate in public .
Be vigilant !
In my humble opinion ………..
Rodney kern
Right it’s all about the money I understand people have Bill’s to pay but risking spreading this is not worth it she is a younger person who can fight this not everyone she came in contact with were young and could possibly die
Jerry
We definitely need more testing and the 6 feet space at truck stops should be in forced. I do my best to limit the times I go into a truck stop and when I do i see no one is wearing a mask.
Eric simmons
I appreciate your will to get the job done however this is a deadly viruss upon being symptomatic u should have shutdown truck and gone to Detroit quarrantine facility but the virus is ya risk all us drivers face the truck is now contaminated with virus n must be sanitized and u r quarrantined but thankyou for moving freight but please dont contaminate others you should not have been allowed to cross border
Noble1
“you should not have been allowed to cross border”
HEAR , HEAR !
Noble1
While our frontline workers are being recognized and applauded for their efforts and serving our needs , whether that be those in health care or those catering to our essential needs in food supplies etc , I would like to thank each and every one of you in the general public who are exercising precautionary measures during this pandemic .
We the general public out number our frontline workers millions to one . It is our collective effort and temporary sacrifice to be willing to be vigilant by exercising social distancing , accepting to isolate , to curtail our public circulation , put a mask on if we can’t keep a social distance of at least 6 feet between one another and washing our hands a little more often etc that will make a huge difference and keep the population and ourselves safe .
I genuinely thank each and everyone of you for accepting to do this . You are also a true hero for accepting to act this way . It certainly isn’t easy , it’s quite demanding . However, this is what we can all do to curtail the spread of this awful virus collectively .
Thank you once again for the sacrifice you’ve all accepted to make . This temporary sacrifice will relieve a tremendous burden on our essential workers in health care and in other sectors . This temporary sacrifice is our way of taking control and ensuring that this current crisis will end quicker so that we can all return to our normal lives .
Agreeing to exercise this temporary sacrifice renders you all a true hero . I just wanted to take a moment to extend my genuine gratitude to all of you for your effort to beat and outsmart this virus that has taken temporary control of our lives .
Thank you
Donald Austin
Thanks for bringing it to South Carolina! Should have stayed home!
Scott
Donald, that was a nasty comment!
Crystal Lynn Kreitzbender
YES!! It wa !!😪
Gregory
Up the truck. Her first move should be straight to the ER.
They can come get the damn truck later on.
Save yourself and crew first.
Joan Hubert
I commend you for being so brave.God had his guardian angels all around you.I continue to pray for you and all of the truck drivers because I am the wife of a truck driver and i pray for my husband 24/7.I was on the road with him for 4 weeks.We decided that I needed a break for now.I intend to go back on the road with him.Please join me in prayer for all of the truckers and other professionals that are on the front line as we tackle this horrible virus.
Crystal Lynn Kreitzbender
My fiancee is a over the road as well. Very Scary. They dont mention truckers as being on the for front, but do they consider how their getting their supples? Trucking stop for less the 3 days and we’re all in throuble. Praying for all the brave truckers out there!!🙏🙏🙏
Hans Witt
Yes!
This is exactly the scenario I have been trying to tell people would happen. No body cares. That includes the big companies too.
I have e-mailed senators, congress men, and journalist, no response!
I don’t care how much Trump & Elaine Chao grandstand in front of Volvos , Driver if you think have COVID19 get to the ER! HOS rule allow for this, it is the Gov. lack of leadership is the reason the load is not delivered. They have no contingency back plan, none what so ever. FEMA & FMCSA totally clueless.
Be live Hero, not a dead one!