Labor Secretary Marty Walsh responded to criticism from truckers worried about the vaccine mandate, saying many would be exempt from the rules.
Most truckers are not covered by President Joe Biden's Covid vaccine and testing requirements for private businesses, according to Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, a win for an industry that had warned of potential walkouts that would disrupt already strained supply chains. However, the mandate exempts workers "who do not report to a workplace where other individuals such as coworkers or customers are present," including truckers who are alone in their cab or who are not interacting with others at their point of departure or destinations, according to the Department of Labor. People who work from home or exclusively outdoors are also exempt.
The American Trucking Associations, which pushed back against the mandates to White House Officials at the Office of Management and Budget last month,rather follow the rules, further disrupting the national supply over the holiday season at a time when the industry is already short 80,000 drivers.