Industry cites truckers’ essential role in vaccine distribution and national supply chain.
Arlington, Virginia – Today, the American Trucking Associations called on policymakers to remember the trucking industry’s essential status as a national vaccine distribution strategy is being formulated by officials across various levels of government. In letters sent to the White House, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, President-elect Biden and the National Governors Association, ATA asked that the trucking industry’s workforce be included in prioritized access pools along with other essential workers.
“Our workforce represents a central and critical link in the nation’s supply chain and will play an essential role in the imminent COVID-19 vaccine distribution process,” wrote ATA’s executive vice president for advocacy, Bill Sullivan. “As the trucking industry is called upon to deliver vaccines across the country, it is imperative that truck drivers have prioritized access to the vaccine to minimize the potential for supply chain delays and disruptions.”
Since the onset of the pandemic, the trucking industry has been crucial throughout all phases of the national response effort, providing direct and indispensable support to workers of every category across the frontline – from healthcare professionals and first responders to grocers and pharmacists. This invaluable role now expands further as the nation begins mobilizing for the largest vaccine distribution campaign in our history.
The letters cite the industry’s designation as essential by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, noting that more than 80% of U.S. communities rely exclusively on trucks to receive necessary goods.