Over the pandemic, the United States saw a drastic driver shortage in the logistics industry, but the industry should see more drivers available soon. There has been an increase in the available driver pool, partially because most drivers will be exempt from the new Covid-19 vaccine mandate. It seems that only the team drivers and driver schools will not be exempt from the vaccine mandate. American Trucking Associations (ATA) reported a shortage of 80,000 drivers in October and the possibility of a shortage of 160,000 drivers by the end of the decade. Despite the supply chain constraints, the freight volume outlook remains positive.
The vaccine mandate is currently under scrutiny by many states and organizations, including ATA. Many fear that this mandate would increase the driver shortage. President Biden has been urging companies to comply with the vaccine mandate as its fate is in the hands of the courts. The Department of Labor declared that OSHA stated that employees exempt from the mandate include people who do not report to the office where others are present, those who work from home or those who work outdoors exclusively. Some trucking industry employees would need to comply if the mandate can make it through the courts, such as office workers or maintenance shop workers.
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