Spain’s trucking heroes working night and day to bring families and hospitals the supplies they need to survive Covid-19 on the Costa del Sol

Spain’s trucking heroes working night and day to bring families and hospitals the supplies they need to survive Covid-19 on the Costa del Sol

DURING this crisis, the logistics and distribution centres, especially those for food and sanitary material, have a very heavy responsibility to deliver. Families and the sick depend on them so that the products are not lacking in homes or hospitals during the Covid-19 confinement.

Lorry drivers are regarded as essential workers, many of them are even giving up the Easter holidays to guarantee supplies.

“I will not stop until everything gets to its place,” says Juan Manuel Pedrosa, 33, “It is a bit overwhelming, we are giving it our all, but the number of lorries that leave is never enough. We work night and day, but always respecting the minimum daily rest of nine hours,” he continues and recalls that the Executive has suspended the regulations regarding waiting times.

“Many weekends I do not rest, I still work hard, I have been going crazy for a few days,” he confesses, but he does not blame the residents: “It is normal for supermarket sales to increase because you have to do everything at home, you can no longer eat out on the weekend.”

Claudio Samuel Pasolea also feels these days the weight of responsibility. The lorry driver, of Romanian origin, has lived in Madrid for almost half his life. “I load there and go down to Malaga with a stop at the company office in Bailén.” He always drives at night to take fruit and vegetables to supermarkets. “You see the stores, that people need to buy and you have to help, it is not for the money, €60 or €100 more do not make you poor or rich, but I see that I am helping.”

What is worse is that some petrol stations do not allow them access to services or where they can have coffee. In response to the group’s complaints, the Ministry of Transport has recently enabled a geo-referenced map of rest areas for transporters during the State of Alarm.