The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the trucking industry, reshaping its operations in several ways. Initially, there was a sharp decline in demand for trucking services as economies around the world went into lockdown, disrupting supply chains and leading to reduced freight volumes. However, the industry quickly rebounded as essential goods needed to be transported in larger quantities and over longer distances, particularly medical supplies, personal protective equipment, and groceries. The surge in e-commerce further drove demand for delivery services.
Despite these opportunities, the industry faced substantial challenges, including maintaining the safety of truck drivers, navigating fluctuating fuel prices, and dealing with an increased regulatory burden. The pandemic also highlighted the essential nature of trucking to the global economy and underscored the need for the industry to be more resilient in the face of future disruptions.
Morning Star Transport LLC, a trucking community located in Seattle, Washington, felt the bumps in the road due to the COVIDs effect on the industry. CEO John Kaprian shares that it was one of the biggest shifts he’d seen in the industry since his company’s inception in 2015.
“The trucking business is a vital part of the economy. And during COVID, everything changed,” states Kaprian. “The economy relies on the trucking industry being in full gear to function. During lockdown, our truckers were forced to shorten or take longer routes to make up for lost income due to a fall in commodity demand – at least at first. Then we were scrambling to keep up with demand!”
This initial decrease in revenue resulted in delays in the delivery of products and services, negatively impacting the economy. Businesses that relied on prompt delivery of products and services had to alter their processes to accommodate the delays, resulting in lower productivity and earnings. Also, the cost of products and services rose due to rising transportation costs. Consumers suffered since they had to pay more for the same goods and services.
“We saw the ups and downs around us, making waves that we had to stay afloat in,” states Kaprian. “And we did. The virus didn’t sway the transportation industry on dry ground – but also across the ocean. Because the entire world was put on halt, we had to find new ways to adapt and change with those adaptations.”
Although COVID was a messy storm for almost every transportation company in the world, the ones that did survive came out transformed on the other side. “Scary times required change to how we delivered, marketed, ran our internal operations, and utilized technology,” adds Kaprian. “But we also came out with some great new updates to the company.”
Morning Star, a full-service transportation provider that specializes in delivering materials for receivers and consignees, took steps to make its operations more efficient, eco-friendly, and hassle-free for customers. “The pandemic brought us to a new perspective on the fragility of life, whether it be human or environmental,” states Kaprian.
To address various problems during the pandemic, Morning Star Transport went green by utilizing electricity instead of gas, going digital, and upgrading to LED lighting. They also established a fully-electric fleet of transportation vehicles and trucks and recently purchased a new Quad-axle super chassis trailer to handle more volume and overweight loads.
Morning Star Transport has also upgraded its website, renewing it with user-friendly functionalities such as quote requests, the ability to check the status of loads, a career page where users can apply for open positions, and a driver portal so drivers receive information in real time. They have also added additional signs so drivers can more easily locate their building.
The company has a trend of staying updated with the times in order to push through whatever life throws its way. “We are committed to innovation and trying new things to keep our customers and the Earth happy,” states Kaprian.
Learn more: https://morningstartransportllc.com/
