The Trump administration has quietly agreed to give 800,000 masks to truck drivers after months of ignoring requests

• The federal administration that oversees regulations for American truck drivers told Business Insider it will distribute 800,000 face masks at truck stops around the country.
• It's unclear when that distribution will occur.
• The decision comes after months of truck drivers asking for more support from the federal government as pay plummets and even large trucking companies fail to muster policies to protect drivers.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The federal administration that oversees regulations for America's six million professional drivers said it will distribute face masks to help protect drivers against the coronavirus.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration confirmed to Business Insider on April 28 that it will give 800,000 face masks to truck drivers. The Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Department of Transportation are helming the effort.

A FMCSA spokesperson said the masks will be distributed in Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New York, and Texas. The spokesperson did not share when that distribution will occur.

This move from FMCSA, which is under the Department of Transportation, to distribute masks come after several months of truck drivers highlighting a lack of safety on the road as the coronavirus spreads.

Do you work in the trucking industry? Email rpremack@businessinsider.com.

There are nearly two million truck drivers in the US, and about 350,000 to 400,000 of them are independent truck drivers, meaning they own or lease their trucks. As stores struggle to stock masks for essential workers, this leaves those independent drivers scrambling to find gear (and few likely have a sewing machine in their truck to whip up their own).

But even the giants in the trucking industry have had trouble protecting drivers. A Business Insider report revealed that many of the largest companies in trucking do not have plans on how to get drivers who are sick back home, leaving some to self-quarantine at truck stops and potentially infect other drivers.

A crucial, yet complex, population to keep healthy

Truck drivers are twice as likely as the average working American to not have health insurance, according to a 2014 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Paid sick leave is also not a common benefit across many trucking jobs.

The CDC also found that truck drivers are twice as likely as typical Americans to be obese or smoke cigarettes. Compared to 7% of all Americans, 14% of drivers have diabetes. These factors increase truck drivers' risk of experiencing complications of the coronavirus.

Still, ensuring this population stays healthy is crucial for all Americas. Around 70% of the nation's freight by weight is moved by truck. If America's truck drivers were to stop working, grocery stores would run out of food in just three days. Gas stations and ATMs would run dry, too.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which is America's largest organization of independent truck drivers, wrote to the Trump administration earlier this month that drivers need masks, testing, and quarantine zones.

Several weeks later, President Donald Trump distributed four golden keys to truck drivers on the White House Lawn. "In the war against the virus, Americans truckers are the foot soldiers who are really carrying us to victory, and they are — they've done an incredible job," Trump said.

But drivers like Joe Plummer said that was not enough. "We need help, not golden keys," he told Business Insider.

While the masks are set to protect drivers like Plummer, he said more protection for small businesses like his own was crucial. Pay for a typical job, running goods from his home base in North Carolina to Los Angeles, has plummeted from $4,700 to $2,700. "I pray I will be in business long enough to see rates come back," Plummer said. "Most likely, this situation will implode."

Do you work in the trucking industry? Email rpremack@businessinsider.com.

Read more about how coronavirus is affecting America's 1.9 million truck drivers

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