When Can Truckers Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?

Trucking and Coronavirus Continue into the New Year

The impact of Coronavirus on the trucking industry affected everything from the supply chain to logistics to health and safety protocols and beyond. The pandemic has followed us into the new year, and the nation's truckers are still facing the challenge of not only keep America running but also of maintaining the health of themselves and their families.

Paperless delivery methods, minimized in-person contact, and stricter sanitizing and safety measures are now pretty much the standard, but as the current wave of Coronavirus rolls on and the pressure remains on truckers to move essential medical and other supplies across the country, the question now is – when do these hard-working men and women qualify to receive the COVID-19 vaccine?

COVID-19 Vaccine for Transportation Workers

Who gets defined as an "essential worker" has been up for debate at both the national and state level since the pandemic began, but it became clear early on that transportation workers – truckers, waste management, public transport drivers, and more – definitely qualify as essential to America's critical infrastructures.

Now that Coronavirus vaccinations are being distributed, the CDC has broken down and further defined the essential workers category – which puts healthcare personnel and long-term facility residents at the head of the list in Phase 1a. Although public transit workers were included in Phase 1b, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has now placed truckers and other transportation workers in Phase 1c.

Phase 1b – Frontline Essential Workers

• First responders
• Education (teachers, daycare, support staff)
• Manufacturing
• Food and Agriculture
• Corrections workers
• Grocery store workers
• Public transit workers
• U.S. postal service workers

Phase 1c – Other Essential Workers

• Transportation and logistics
• Energy
• Media
• Food service
• Shelter/housing construction
• Water and Wastewater workers
• Finance
• Legal
• Public Safety

To further argue the importance of the trucking industry getting prioritized in the vaccination strategy, the American Trucking Associations Executive Vice President of Advisory wrote:

"Our nation's ability to successfully confront the COVID-19 pandemic depends on the resilience and integrity of our transportation networks. The trucking industry is proud to play an outsized role in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, and we ask that you consider the essential nature of the trucking workforce as you implement plans for vaccine distribution. As we saw at the outset of the pandemic, when supply lines are disrupted, consequences are fast to follow."

Although that's the way the plan looks right now, timeframes and availability may still be up to interpretation at the state level.

HOS Exemptions and Emergency Declaration Extended

With vaccines and other medical supplies now needing to be shipped in every state, truckers have once again stepped up to meet urgent demands. Hours of Service exemptions are still in place from 2020 and the national Emergency Declaration has continually been extended to accommodate truckers who are providing direct Coronavirus relief.

Stay safe and healthy out there and remember we're here for you 24/7 for all of your trucking needs.