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Vaccine mandate on truckers raises supply chain concerns

This week’s vaccine mandate along the Canadian border could add to supply chain challenges.

Chuck Lippstreu, head of the Michigan Agri-Business Association tells Brownfield the U.S. Customs and Border Protection mandate on truck drivers coming from Canada and Mexico could make an already short trucking labor supply even tighter, “We’re extremely concerned, as are trucking interest in Michigan and our counterparts across the border in Ontario, that you’re going to see tens of thousands of drivers leave the workforce and create an even more challenging situation than we have right now,” he says.

He says trade with Canada, the nation’s and Michigan’s latest ag trading partner, could suffer on both sides of the border.

Canada is requiring all federally regulated workers, including those in transportation, to be vaccinated by the 15th.  The Canadian Trucking Alliance estimates between 15,000 and 30,000 Canadian truck drivers could exit the supply chain or work other trucking jobs because of the mandate.

Brownfield interviewed Lippstreu during this week’s Michigan Agri-Business Association’s Winter Conference.