Uh - Oh! I am told that the words "vax mandates" are "trigger words" - words that are emotionally charged and evoke all sorts of thoughts and comments.
We are not here to stir the pot, but it is important to point out that the vax mandate issue is a "big deal" that will affect supply chains well into 2022. Fortunately, truckers and shippers dodged a big bullet when the Department of Labor announced that truck drivers would not be bound by the mandate.
Why was this such a big deal? Because industry associations such as the ATA and OOIDA predicted that the trucking industry would lose 70,000 - 80,000 truck drivers who would refuse to get vaccinated. And after watching the debacles play out at Southwest and American Airlines, no one in their right mind would want to see the risk of losing that many drivers come to fruition.
But every shipper needs to know that when it comes to the vax mandate issue, we are nowhere close to being out of the woods yet. While the experts dive through roughly 500 pages to decipher how the rules will apply, hopefully there will be some flexibility for workers who are outdoors, working alone, or working in spaces such as warehouses and distribution centers where there is plenty of social distancing.
Every shipper needs to know that just like many of the companies in North America, the transportation and logistics industries have struggled to attract and retain workers. And as noted in our interview with Peter Tirschwell, this has caused the supply chain circulatory system to slow down and had an adverse impact on capacity - at a time when capacity shortages have never been more acute.
Just as we can't afford to lose more truck drivers, we really can't afford to lose a whole bunch of people at warehouses and other distribution facilities. But that is a distinct possibility for numerous reasons. That’s why smart shippers will have a “Plan B” that they can activate to keep their supply chains rolling just in case there are longer delays and more significant supply chain disruptions when the vax mandate is scheduled to go into effect on January 4th.
Having a "Plan B" begins with understanding what the transportation marketplace conditions will look like in 2022. That is why we have a special "MUST ATTEND" event planned for you. To get a better idea of all that’s ahead in 2022, we encourage you to register for our upcoming webinar on December 3rd at 11am Central. We’re hosting this in conjunction with CSCMP and NASSTRAC, to discuss what’s ahead and how to plan for contingencies. Our panel will have several logistics executives, including:
When you register, you will automatically get the recording in case you’re not available when we’re live.
BY MIKE REGAN, CO-FOUNDER OF TRANZACT
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