Most truckers are not covered by President Joe Biden’s Covid vaccine and testing requirements for private businesses, according to Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, a win for an industry that had warned of potential walkouts that would disrupt already strained supply chains.
“We’ve heard some pushback from truckers today. The ironic thing is most truckers are not covered by this, because they’re driving a truck, they’re in a cab, they’re by themselves, they wouldn’t be covered by this,” Walsh said in an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes late Thursday.
Biden’s vaccine or testing mandate for business with 100 or more employees went info effect on Friday, after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration published the requirements in the Federal Register. Businesses have until Jan. 4 to ensure their employees have received the shots required for full vaccination. After that date, workers who are unvaccinated must submit a weekly negative Covid test to enter the workplace. Unvaccinated workers must wear masks indoors at their workplaces starting Dec. 5.
However, the mandate exempts workers “who do not report to a workplace where other individuals such as coworkers or customers are present,” including truckers who are alone in their cab or who are not interacting with others at their point of departure or destinations, according to the Department of Labor. People who work from home or exclusively outdoors are also exempt.