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CHEYENNE, Wyoming (AP) — While many Wyomingites’ experiences during the pandemic have been shaped by state or county-level reactions, truck drivers in the area have been exposed to a patchwork of responses across the nation.
Situated at the nexus of Interstates 25 and 80, Cheyenne is a popular stop for truckers hauling goods across the United States. Truckers who stop in Wyoming’s capital city could be headed to any state in the country, and with that comes the chance to observe stark regional differences.
Perhaps no period in recent memory has revealed those regional differences more than the past nine months. Since March, the nation has grappled with conflicting views on how to address the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 275,000 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“State by state, things were so different,” said Hamilton Byrd, a longtime Cheyenne resident who drove semi-trucks up until the middle of last summer, when he quit to pursue his event business full-time.
“There were places that were really strict that had statewide mask mandates way back in April. With corporate entities, you’d see the same thing, too. You’d show up to a Love’s Travel Stop in Wyoming, for instance, and it feels like business as usual. Then you’d show up to a Love’s in California, and it feels like a different world.”
“That was one really interesting observation I had – just seeing how diced up we all were,” said Byrd. He also noted that, from his view, truck stops – like airports or bus depots – are places where people from all over the country – including virus hotspots – congregate.
“These were hotspots or relatively volatile areas,” Byrd said. “When you jump into one truck stop that has no care in the world, it was nerve-racking.”
Vicente Lopez, who owns True Grace Farm and Truck in Cheyenne, and has driven trucks since 1987, said it’s never been difficult to keep to himself on the road, adding that he’s not particularly concerned about the threat of the virus as it is.
However, in some areas, he did encounter regulations so strict is affected his life on the road, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported.
“I anticipated getting my shower and everything when I got up in the morning, and they had shut down their showers,” Lopez recalled about a truck stop he stayed at in Louisiana. “I wasn’t able to get my shower the next morning. That was tricky.”
Sheila Foertsch, managing director of the Wyoming Trucking Association, said a lot of truckers encountered similar issues at the onset of the pandemic.
“Early on, drivers who go coast to coast were having difficulties finding places to park and rest, as well as difficulty finding places to eat. A lot of states closed restaurants, and that included dine-in truck stops,” Foertsch…
Read More: Truckers in Wyoming: COVID-19 responses vary nationwide