Solo truckers struggle to get rolling with stimulus fund

May 04, 2020 at 08:47 AM CST
Rodney Morine believes his second chance is no better than his first to secure a loan through a government program intended to help small businesses like his survive the pandemic. “I have zero confidence,” said Morine, an independent truck driver in Opelousas, Louisiana, whose revenues have dropped by half since the coronavirus outbreak hit the U.S. Morine’s pessimism highlights the perils of trying to rapidly dispense billions of dollars in federal aid to contain the economic damage caused by the pandemic. Much of the relief effort hurriedly approved by Congress and managed by the Trump administration has been beset by confusion and red tape. And those worries haven’t been erased by the addition of $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, a key initiative to shield small businesses from the financial fallout.

May 04, 2020 at 08:47 AM CST

Rodney Morine believes his second chance is no better than his first to secure a loan through a government program intended to help small businesses like his survive the pandemic. “I have zero confidence,” said Morine, an independent truck driver in Opelousas, Louisiana, whose revenues have dropped by half since the coronavirus outbreak hit the U.S. Morine’s pessimism highlights the perils of trying to rapidly dispense billions of dollars in federal aid to contain the economic damage caused by the pandemic. Much of the relief effort hurriedly approved by Congress and managed by the Trump administration has been beset by confusion and red tape. And those worries haven’t been erased by the addition of $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, a key initiative to shield small businesses from the financial fallout.