ALEXANDRIA, Virginia:

President Biden’s vaccine mandate for private sector employers with over 100 employees is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register tomorrow. To the dismay of TCA and our partners across the transportation sector, trucking was not exempted. The compliance date for the mandate is January 4. The mandate will require unvaccinated workers to begin wearing masks by December 5 and provide a negative COVID test on a weekly basis after the January deadline. Companies are not required to pay for or provide the tests unless otherwise required to by state or local laws, and have until December 5 to offer paid time off for employees to receive the vaccine and paid sick leave to recover from any side effects.

View the White House Fact Sheet here.

TCA is still analyzing the mandate and will follow up with additional information specifically relevant to our truckload carrier members.

TCA repeatedly called on the Administration to heed our warnings regarding this mandate’s impact on the already constrained supply chain, yet they chose to proceed with a disastrous mandate which will undoubtedly ensure the trucking industry loses a substantial number of drivers. These are the drivers the country is relying upon to deliver food, fuel, and presents for the upcoming holiday season, yet our national leadership has decided these needs must go unmet.

TCA’s opposition to the mandate is not political – it is simply driven by the facts presented by our industry and our knowledge of the 24/7 efforts already being contributed by our diligent workforce. President Biden cannot call on trucking to “work harder” when his policies are cutting us off at the knees and depriving us of the workforce we need. Be assured that TCA will pursue every option to fight the imposition of this mandate on our members.

Efforts are currently underway – by private sector companies, nonprofit groups, and roughly a dozen state governors, to name a few – to file suit against the mandate. While we do not yet know whether these lawsuits will result in a delay or eventual overturning of the mandate, we are optimistic that they will ultimately be successful, and we will work to support these initiatives as much as we can. We have also learned of congressional efforts to address the mandate, and we will provide more information on those as they develop.

In the meantime, TCA encourages its members to contact your congressional representative to ensure they fully understand the ramifications of pursuing this misguided regulation. Our national leadership must contend with the hard facts of how your company’s work to deliver for the American public will be undermined by the mandate.

Do not hesitate to reach to TCA staff if you have any questions or would like guidance as we continue to analyze the full extent of the fallout from this disastrous mandate.