Biden Administration Will Require Canadian Truck Drivers to be Vaccinated to Cross Border

Starting on January 22, 2022, the Biden administration will require all non-resident truck drivers, government, and emergency officials to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to cross the border. This matches the requirements the administration put in place for leisure travelers to the United States. The original deadline was November 8, 2021, but the administration pushed it back.

CTA has called for American and Canadian authorities to give the truckers more time before the mandate goes into effect. CTA argues that they won’t have time to get vaccinated with both shots, considering the trucker’s schedules, before the January deadline.

Biden’s Department of Homeland Security announced:

“Starting November 8, when arriving at a U.S. land POE or ferry terminal, non-citizen travelers should be prepared to (1) provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, as outlined on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)website; and (2) verbally attest to their reason for travel and COVID-19 vaccination status during a border inspection.

Any non-citizen attempting to enter the United States through illegal means or without appropriate documentation may be subject to expulsion or removal.”

A spokeswoman for the trucking group Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association criticized the administration’s decision. She stated, “This showed how unnecessary government mandates can force experienced owner-operators and independent truckers out of business. These requirements are another example of how impractical regulations will send safe drivers off the road.”

Canada announced that all Canadian and American truck drivers must be double vaxxed by January 15 to enter the country. The Canadian Trucking Alliance slammed Biden’s decision. They estimated that 70% of the $648 billion in trade between Canada and America is through trucks. There are 40,000 US drivers moving north-south trade.

CTA’s conservative estimate is that 10-20% of Canadian drivers (12,000-22,000) and 40% of US drivers (16,000) will quit over the vaccine mandate. With a struggling supply chain crisis, the vaccine mandate could exacerbate getting products to customers. CTA president Stephen Laskowski said:

“It is entirely unclear how the industry and supply chain can compensate for thousands of drivers abruptly exiting the system overnight. Make no mistake, if this mandate moves forward as planned, it would bring significant consequences for the cross-border economy, which will be felt by the Canadian and American public.”

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Sarah Abrams

Sarah is a wife, new mom, and proud American living in Austin, Texas. She hopes her writing inspires others to seek truth and uphold the values that make this country great. When she is not writing about politics and culture, she enjoys cooking, trying new restaurants, and spending time outdoors with her family.