You’ve heard them all: the “novel coronavirus,” “COVID-19,” our president called it the “Chinese virus,” and you might have even heard it called “the ’Rona.” No matter what you call it, you’ve been affected by it. Whether you’ve encountered it directly, know someone facing the virus on the front lines, are practicing social distancing, or choosing to live life as normal, you are some way, somehow affected by COVID-19. How we got here is up for debate, but how we recover? That’s another situation altogether.
I was first affected by COVID-19 on February 26, traveling home from Detroit. My fiancé insisted I wear a mask in the airport and on the plane, so I paid $9 for one at Detroit Metro Airport and reluctantly sported it. Shortly after, the owner of our company gathered us in the conference room to tell us that attending trade shows wasn’t required this year due to COVID-19. Regardless, I traveled to Indianapolis for NTEA’s The Work Truck Show. Little did I know that would be my last trip for months.
I worked in the office the week I got back from The Work Truck Show, but I haven’t been back since. In less than one month, companies that are able have gone 100% remote. Nonessential businesses have shut down. The health care industry is crying out for supplies. Some of us haven’t seen our family members in weeks. Some of us have family members working in health care. My sister, a registered nurse, is working on the COVID-19 unit at a hospital in the hardest-hit city in Alabama. To say all of that doesn’t frighten me would be a lie.
REMAINING CONSISTENT
As frightened as I am, I’m blessed to be healthy, that my family is healthy. I’m blessed that I work for a company that values its employees and is working hard to keep its operations functioning at 100%, even though many of us are working from our homes.
Modern WorkTruck Solutions along with its sister publications, Modern Contractor Solutions and Modern Pumping Today, will continue to print monthly. MWS will continue to publish online, and we will continue supplying some of the best work truck fleet solutions around. Our publishing company, Highlands Publications—small as it may be—is healthy and dedicated to our readers. We will remain steadfast in content gathering, putting an emphasis on pieces related to the pandemic. Whether your company is seeing a surge in business or your company has been labeled nonessential, we’ll have content for you. Allow us to be a resource for you in these dark times.
HERE TO SERVE
As our president states in his letter, the Modern WorkTruck Solutions staff is here to serve you. Let us help get your business’ COVID-19-related news out to the public or learn what’s happening with other businesses in the industry. We’ve dedicated a section of our website specifically to COVID-19-related news. Visit the page at mwsmag.com/covid19. Additionally, we’d love for you to tell us your concerns with the pandemic and your business. Let us know what kind of virus-related or nonvirus-related content you’d like to see moving forward. Let us work for you.
We’re all affected by this virus in one way or another—we are ALL in this together.
Talk soon. Jade
A NOTE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
Below is an excerpt from a letter written earlier in the month by the president of Highlands Publications, Russell Haddock, addressed to our readers and advertisers.
“Modern WorkTruck Solutions will continue to deliver critical business information to our readers as they are the backbone of our nation. We also want to be the connection between manufacturers and fleet owners, sharing your status and business plans. Please let us help you stay connected by reaching out to our editorial and advertising staff during this critical time.
America will pass this test as we have done many times before and become stronger because of it. This is not a time sit and wait; it is a time to act as a team, as a country … we are in this together. If we can do anything to help you, please contact the Modern WorkTruck Solutions staff … we are here to serve.”
-Russell Haddock, president
