The value of truck drivers has seemingly never been higher.

Many in the industry complain about the difficulty of hiring and retaining drivers. Supply chain issues have led to empty shelves in some grocery stores, and this has highlighted how little patience consumers have for such disruptions.

Meanwhile, ports have experienced delays with ships waiting to dock, simply because enough workers were not available to unload all the cargo. At Class A Drivers, we connect drivers with the trucking companies that want to hire them, so we know just how much companies want to hire more drivers.

It is in this environment that Canada has made the bizarre and disastrous decision to turn away unvaccinated truck drivers at the border.

Canada’s New Plan – Unvaxxed Not Welcome

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has recently confirmed a rule that Canada will turn away truck drivers at the border, as recently as this past weekend.

Of course, with a constant rollout of various shots and now boosters, the definition of “vaccinated” has also been shifting. Currently, US truck drivers are deemed acceptable if they have two shots of Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca vaccines against COVID-19. A single shot of Johnson & Johnson is acceptable.

Canada wants drivers to submit their medical papers through a government app and also have a hard copy to show to the border officers.

In the Wake of the US Supreme Court Decision

Canada’s decision is especially glaring in light of a recent decision by the US Supreme Court to shoot down President Biden’s proposed vaccine mandate for large private companies. The court did allow health care facilities that receive federal funding to enforce a vaccine mandate, but entities such as trucking companies cannot be forced by a Presidential mandate.

Truck drivers who travel across the border and thought they would not be subject to a mandate are now learning the difficulties of dealing with policies from two separate governments.

How Will Canada’s Decision Affect Logistics and the Economy?

According to the American Trucking Association, only 50-60% of truck drivers are vaccinated. And there is no telling how the shifting definition of “vaccinated” will be interpreted in the future.

Bloomberg states that the open border with Canada is responsible for about $45 billion of goods every month. A vax mandate on the US-Canada border will undoubtedly slow deliveries in both direction. All types of freight will be affected, including food supplies.

As the United States already faces inflation and higher costs of living, we can add increased prices due to scarcity and a lack of truck drivers.