Draft of Vaccination Rule Released; Trucking Didn't Get an Exemption

There is no exemption for trucking in the proposed federal mandate governing vaccination. The rule was "pre-published" Thursday morning by the Biden administration.

Trucking industry organizations had called for the sector to be exempted. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration published a rough draft of the rule, which will be formally unveiled Friday.

Jan. 4 is the effective date for the mandate, termed an Emergency Temporary Standard.

Under the mandate, companies with 100 or more employees have to ensure workers are fully vaccinated or undergo regular COVID testing.

"To the dismay of TCA and our partners across the transportation sector, trucking was not exempted," the Truckload Carriers Association said in a statement released on the heels of the pre-publication of the OSHA rule.

"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," the organization said. "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 also pointed to pushback against the mandate by various organizations and officials.

"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," it said in its statement. "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."

FreightWaves will continue to update this story over the course of the day. 

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