Trucking Industry warns that vaccine mandates will exacerbate supply chain problems

quote:

---

Truckers warn 'disastrous' mandate will worsen supply chain chaos

LINK

---

quote:

---

The trucking industry issued new warnings after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration released guidance Thursday on the mandates after much anticipation. All companies with more than 100 employees will be required to have their workers vaccinated or provide proof of weekly negative COVID-19 tests. Additionally, all businesses that have contracts with the federal government, no matter the size, will also have to adhere to the vaccine mandate, although they don’t have a testing option.

The deadline for the guidance, which has originally been set for Dec. 8, was pushed back to Jan. 4 in an apparent effort to avoid supply chain disruptions right in the middle of the holiday season. Many trucking companies contend that pushing back the deadline is only a temporary fix and that the supply chain will become more frayed in January when the rules become effective.

The Truckload Carriers Association had hoped that truckers would be exempt from the mandate that is expected to affect 100 million workers in the United States — or about two-thirds of the country’s workforce.

---

quote:

---

Some 4.3 million workers quit their jobs in August, a number that is up from 4 million in July. The amount of people quitting is the highest since the U.S. began keeping records of the statistic about 20 years ago — equivalent to about 3% of the country’s workforce.

The ATA, Truckload Carriers Association, International Foodservice Distributors Association, and dozens of other interested business groups signed an open letter to Biden this week outlining steps to help ease the supply chain crisis. It highlighted the severe effects the mandate could have on the industry.

“We estimate companies covered by the mandate could lose 37% of drivers at a time when the nation is already short 80,000 truck drivers,” the letter reads. “We ask for flexibility for transportation and supply chain essential workers, particularly truck drivers who spend most of their time in their trucks and have minimal contact with colleagues and customers.”

---

quote:

---

Unvaccinated truckers who want to continue driving may wind up at smaller companies, although others could just call it quits and leave the market entirely.

A quarter of truckers on the road are at or close to the age of retirement , according to Lindsey Trent, the co-founder and president of the Next Generation in Trucking Association.

“We’ve got an aging industry, and it might push a substantial group into early retirement,” Lawrence said of Biden’s order.

Allen said the industry needs to get serious about ways to recruit newer and younger truckers, given the aging industry and glut of job openings elsewhere.

---