Southeast Tennessee Council Meeting 5/19/2020

The Southeast TN Council was excited to have our first virtual Zoom meeting today, 5/19/2020, in replacement of our typical in-person meetings.

This month’s meeting was a Panel Discussion on Back to Work Strategies, Onboarding New Drivers, Recruiting Efforts, and New Hour of Service Rules and what they mean to us. Moderator Donna England, TTA. Panelist, Dave Huneryager, TTA, Lindy Henley, Tranco, Grady Phillips, CMS and Jeremy Reymer, DriverReach.

We were able to cover many COVID-19 highlights and questions answered by our panelists. Some key takeaways of this meeting included Dave Huneryager’s advice for what the TTA is doing during COVID-19. He states that we communicate, communicate, communicate. When it comes to COVID-19, every single resource that we can use and get information from, it’s our responsibility to get that out to our members. We will get out the best and the most up to date info out to you.

Grady Phillips also says the CDC guidelines “Do’s” for COVID-19 include social distancing, wearing masks, practicing good hygiene, and proactively encouraging employees not feeling well to work remotely. Wearing masks stops you from spreading the virus through water droplets. “The only real “Don’t” of COVID-19 he discusses, is Don’t NOT have a policy. Companies need a policy for the employees to go by during this pandemic.”

Other topics discussed included the FMCSA’s clearinghouse, the rise in TN crash fatalities, drug testing of employees during COVID-19, taking temperatures of employees, the difficulties of hiring / drivers getting their CDL’s during COVID-19, ELD’s, etc. The Southeast TN Council was pleased to still be able to carry on our meetings among this pandemic and look forward to our future meetings and discussions.

Eston Pyle, Chairman

Matt Holmes, Vice Chairman

Grady Phillips, Secretary