The food on your table, fabric you wear and everyday goods that make your life easier all come from somewhere. Before they arrive at the store for you to purchase, they typically make their journey in a semitrailer. Barberton resident Melvin James continues to hit the road with the Akron-based JRayl Transport — delivering goods for Joann Fabrics and Crafts, Arhaus, Morton Salt and tire companies like Michelin. We chatted with James about his new reality during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Things still need to be moved, things still need to be transported, store shelves still need to be stocked. I feel a lot more responsibility — a lot more appreciation of what I do because of that.
We're putting ourselves at a little higher risk than others. I could travel up to three states in one day.
Our rest areas where we sleep overnight, some of those were closed for a week or so throughout Pennsylvania, Indiana and some in Ohio. It was hard for us to find places to park and sleep.
There's a lot less traffic. It was weird. Just last week I was through downtown Detroit at 8 o'clock in the morning — that's usually rush hour — it was like I was driving through an afternoon. When you see shopping centers that were normally packed with cars and people, [but now] they're just gone — it’s somewhat surreal.
I'm proud to be in an industry deemed essential because there's so many that are home right now and they're not working, wondering where their next paycheck is gonna come from.
Usually during a pickup or delivery, when I'm done, we would just say to each other, Thank you, have a nice day. Now, I tell everyone to stay safe, or they will tell me first. I know that's a small gesture, but it shows how we’re unified in all of this.” — as told to Madeline Myers
