Canadian Trucking Alliance asks U.S. to drop vaccine mandate

October 4, 2022

Ryan Witkowski

|

On the heels of the Canadian government ending COVID-19 entry requirements for travelers coming into the country, another trucking group is asking the U.S. to follow suit.

On Oct. 3, the Canadian Trucking Alliance – in a joint letter with the American Trucking Associations – urged the U.S. government to end all cross-border entry requirements affecting non-U.S. citizens entering the country. According to Canadian Trucking Alliance, ending the mandate would “ensure border stability and support the Canada-U.S. supply chain and businesses on both sides of the border.”

The Canadian groups says that trucking companies would benefit from the removal of the U.S. border vaccination policies. It’s the alliance’s stance that ending any mandates would result in “a significant increase to their cross-border driver pools and an improved ability to deliver U.S. exports to the benefit of U.S. businesses and commerce.”

In addition to collaborating with the ATA, the alliance is seeking the support of the Council of Governors and National Governors Association to help end any border mandates.

“With Canada being the No. 1 export market for most U.S. states, and with most Canada-U.S. trade moving by truck, CTA reiterated that the reciprocity of these changes would add considerable freight capacity and allow the trucking sector to better service the constituents and businesses within many states these governors represent,” the Canadian Trucking Alliance said in a statement.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance isn’t the first trucking group to call on Washington to end the COVID-19 border restrictions. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is fighting the same battle.

On Sept. 26, OOIDA President Todd Spencer wrote to President Joe Biden calling for an end to the U.S. vaccine mandate for truck drivers traveling from Canada and Mexico.

“Since commercial drivers spend the majority of their time alone in their vehicle and outside, there is no evidence that truckers present a higher risk of spreading the virus,” Spencer wrote. “Moreover, there is no evidence that truckers have been the source of any coronavirus outbreaks within the United States, suggesting that the cross-border mandate is likely to be having little, if any, effect.”

Sen. John Tester, D-Mont., also recently wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security asking for an end to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

“I urge DHS to end the vaccine mandate for truck drivers and other travelers entering the United States, and to work with Canadian officials to end all mandates in a coordinated fashion,” Tester wrote. “This will prevent unnecessary confusion, increase trade, and boost economies on both sides of the northern border.” LL