Fifteen Republican governors, led by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, have launched “Operation Open Road,” an initiative that seeks to ease the U.S. supply chain crunch through a range of state and federal measures, including calling on the Biden administration to remove “burdensome” regulations on the trucking industry and to suspend President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for private employers.
Lee announced the start of the operation in a statement on Nov. 22, the same day that he signed an executive order (pdf) deregulating critical trucking functions in Tennessee.
“Republican governors across the country have committed to doing everything we can to solve a growing supply chain crisis that has resulted in backed-up ports and empty shelves,” he said. “We call on the Biden Administration to join us in Operation Open Road by suspending burdensome regulations on the trucking industry and therefore ensuring small businesses and American consumers have access to the goods they need this holiday season.”
The initiative comes as the supply chain crisis is continuing to roil the United States, helping raise the rate of inflation to a three-decade high and prompting warnings of possible product shortages heading into the busy holiday shopping season.
At the federal level, Operation Open Road calls for the Biden administration to suspend federal regulations that require commercial driver’s license holders to be 21 years old and lower the age to 18.
It also takes aim at the vaccinate-or-test mandate for private employers, calling on Biden to suspend “the burdensome federal mandate for COVID-19 vaccines for all private employees, specifically for the trucking and transportation industry so that driver shortages are not further exacerbated by an additional barrier to employment.”
A number of trucking industry insiders have told The Epoch Times that the private employer vaccine mandate could lead to a major trucking disruption, at a time when the American Trucking Associations (ATA) has estimated that there’s already a driver shortage of around 80,000.
An expert from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) told lawmakers at a recent congressional hearing that holdups at pickup and delivery points are causing a chronic underutilization problem that’s affecting U.S. long-haul drivers, leading to 40 percent of U.S. trucking capacity being “left on the table every day.”
David Correll, a research scientist at MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics, blamed “conventions for scheduling and processing” around pickup and delivery appointments for drastically reducing the amount of time truck drivers actually spend driving. He estimated that adding just 18 minutes of driving time, on average, to each of the country’s 1.8 million truck drivers every day “could be enough to overcome what many of us feel is a driver shortage.”
“If we can get government out of the way, our trucking industry can safely do what it does best: move,” the letter reads.
In the spirit of removing regulatory barriers, the governors have called on the Biden administration to “review and revise any federal policies that deter use or domestic manufacturing of essential transportation equipment,” including containers, trucks, and tractor-trailers.
Lee and the other governors also took aim more broadly at the Biden administration’s big-ticket spending plans, arguing that the plans would fuel inflation, which hit a 31-year high of 6.2 percent in October.
“Finally, we call on President Biden to halt attempts to raise taxes, spend trillions more in taxpayer dollars, and grow the debt, all of which will cripple the American economy and spur inflation causing sky-high consumer prices for American families,” the governors wrote in the open letter.
Inflation has emerged as a key theme of the pandemic-era economic recovery, eroding the purchasing power of Americans, whose wages have risen—but at a slower pace than prices.
While Biden has acknowledged the pain of inflation for U.S. households, he has insisted that his spending plans will actually reduce inflationary pressures by smoothing some supply-side dislocations and footing the bill for some costs facing U.S. families.
At a state level, Operation Open Roads urges governors to use their authority to modify weight, size, or load restrictions to allow more cargo to be moved; deregulate truck driver licensing barriers to get more drivers on the road; and facilitate collaboration between government and industry—including shippers and receivers at ports—to help alleviate the supply chain woes.
Joining Lee in the initiative are Republican governors from 14 other states, including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.
Tom Ozimek has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education. The best writing advice he’s ever heard is from Roy Peter Clark: ‘Hit your target’ and ‘leave the best for last.’
I might even become a long-haul driver if they dumped the crooked bioweapon injection mandate deceptively being called a “vaccine.”
77,000 minimum Military members are being booted out–They need jobs !
The founders may not recognize what has become of America. It is the old adage of raising the pot of water a frog is slowly until it might boil to death. Thankfully, numbers seem to be realizing that magic money from D.C. has costs that include ‘inflation,’ more debt, more money going debt service, etc. Imagine, just a little over a century ago, before the income tax, America paid for the federal government largely through tariffs that also safeguarded American industry, farming, and ranching production interests.
Doesn’t say much for the cabal in DC…caused the supply chain debacle, and now governor’s of red states have to ban together to try to clean up their mess. Hate that the people in blue states have a cold hungry winter to look forward to, but hopefully people will learn that their votes have consequences, regardless of the gut reason they cast that vote.
Every State should join in and get this quagmire fixed. They may have to remind Washington that there is a such thing as States Rights.
if only the republicans would’ve fought like this right along and before all this nonsense began with the crazy libs!
If I remember correctly, it was the Obama administration that decreased the number of hours truck drivers could be on the road. And I believe that since then, certain allowances have been permitted. Of course they must be reasonably rested before resuming work, but adding an hour to their allowable daily work load would help stock the shelves.
Lowering the minimum age for drivers to 18 is not the smartest thing to do. Driving a huge truck requires reflex reactions to hazardous situations that 18-year-olds just don’t have the experience to deal with.
Fix the ports first. I’m sure state and federal agencies can find incentives to get the trucks rolling again. But, with dems in control, this major problem will not likely be solved any time soon. Besides, fewer trucks on the road = less fossil fuel consumed. It plays right into their green initiatives, despite the misery it causes the industry and those who would like to avail themselves of products transported in those trucks.
“Biden has acknowledged the pain of inflation for U.S. households,he has insisted that his spending plans will actually reduce inflationary pressures by smoothing some supply-side dislocations and footing the bill for some costs facing U.S. families.”
The government footing the bill? Hey joe you serial lying moron, so you’re going to use U.S. taxpayer dollars to “foot the bill for some costs” facing U.S. taxpayers…brilliant…you clown. Do people really fall for this disingenuous, non-stop liar’s tripe? Rhetorical question.
PS Somebody said to me this morning, “he (ccp-joe) is so mentally impaired that he doesn’t even know that he’s lying. NEWS FLASH: He’s been lying for his entire half century plus political career. EVERYTHING this failure of a human being says publicly is a lie.
& repair our roads & hire 18+ to drive trucks, or ex inmates.
Automate more
More RR use
Just another case, where the republicans have to fix another Democrat Blunder! Incompetence on the Democrats at its Highest, Biden/Harris or Tweetle Dee and Tweetle Dum!
From my understanding, The United Supreme Courts STRUCK down this ‘mandate’ by biden as being unconstitutional and illegal.
biden wants to hire over 85,000 irs workers teach them to drive trucks, put them to work doing something useful since taxpayers will be paying them. they would be sitting around any way.
This nation has been headed toward the new world order since the 1950’s and it is so deeply rooted that it will not stop short of killing the politicians, globalists, elitists, fbi, school boards, teachers, etc, etc, etc, This is like a virus and unless the virus is removed or killed within your body or nation you will succumb to it’s threats. Lock and load it’s going to be a bumpy ride and well worth the time and effort.
Less regulations is an American philosophy but sadly it is NOT a democrat philosophy!
This initiative, as the article clearly states up front, hinges on the Biden administration scaling back quite a few economically onerous federal regulations, that have helped make the current supply chain issues even worse than they should be. I’m NOT holding my breath waiting for the Biden administration to do anything that is suggested in this article, because that would run completely counter to standard Democrat policies goals.
The whole intent of most Democrat policies, when you strip away all the nonsensical rhetoric that Democrats use to sell their garbage to the public, is to excessively regulate and thus economically disincentivize whole areas of the economy, in order to expend the government’s reach and control in more areas of the economy. Regulations put forth by Democrats are generally designed suppress private enterprise and job creation by making both less economically viable going forward. So getting any cooperation from the federal government, in the manner these Governors are asking for, is a non-starter. Sorry, but the Biden administration is NOT going to go along with anything these Governors are suggesting.
Well, Biden won’t help out as it’s Red State guvs that are taking action. Biden would set fire to the country just to spite Trump and Red States. So much for his BS come together speech; but then those of us old enough know that Biden has lied his entire career. As the Constitution states, the President has limited powers, so it’s up to us to get the USA back on track…..without Chinese interference, right Joe?
One great big critical factor that has been exposed by the supply chain problem that needs addressing is WE NEED TO REDUCE AND THEN ELIMINATE OUR DEPENDENCE ON RED CHINA FOR OUR CONSUMER GOODS. We need to get out of the world trade organization and return to producing our own necessities as we did before. Not only would the quality of the products be far superior to what is being imported, but they will be safer. We are getting cheap imported goods alright, both in price and quality/safety. In addition, what sense does it make to import all of those goods from 6,000 miles away? Red China could cut off all of that supply and do more damage to America than from a nuclear attack. And, would such a move justify us nuking them? Not hardly. We would just be like the ripe fruit Khruschev referred to when he said: “We won’t have to fight you. We’ll so weaken your economy until you will fall like overripe fruit into our hands.” We already don’t have a shadow of the industrial base we had just a few years ago, a base critical should we have to go to war on the scale of WW II. We would be “ripe for the picking”.
Biden wants to tax OUR manufacturers which I’m sure is the global tax he signed onto at the G20 meeting last month. What we need is a return to taxing IMPORTS that unfairly compete pricewise with our own USA made items as in the past.
Why has Red China been able to build up the massive military they now have and are the second largest economy in the world? WE HAVE AND ARE RESPONSIBLE, HAVING FUNDED BOTH. Stop and think about what we have been doing. It’s like buying a mass murderer who has vowed to destroy you the arms and ammunition to do it with.
Biden won’t get out of the way, he loves to be in the way. He thinks he is a god watching over all his little earthly minions. He is the way of keeping our country safe, he is in the way of America being energy independent, he is in the way of law and order, he is in the way of free trade, he is in the way of education, he is in the way of racial healing, and he is in the way of the truth about most everything.
At what capacity is our railroad system operating? Anyone know? Until we get more trucks running, use rail as much as possible.
Why is it that the Democraps pass laws that are overwhelmingly detrimental to the overall health, welfare, and efficiency of the basic population? (but self serving in creating the appearance of the need for Communism)????? Rhetorical query … I know the answer!!! And I bet you do also if you give it a little thought based on basic knowledge and history.
Take the tax off fuel would be a great help. Here in PA is $.74 per gallon state plus the federal .24
Convention of states. Get involved as soon as you can!
I didn’t see Arkansas and Indiana on this list. SHAME!
Hey Jo(k) Biden, this is what you call leading instead of jetting off to a billionaires castle!
Does ANYONE believe that Biden and Socialist Dem COMRADES WILL PARTICIPATE IN THIS PLAN????
These evil “politicians ” do NOTHING POSITIVE …….. THEY ENABLE DISASTERS !-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, the Dems won’t join in on this, they believe brother Joe has all the right answers.
About damn time, Republicans, immediately!
Suspending vaccine & testing mandates for private employers & employees is great! continuing to subject military & all federal employees is still dictatorial, shameful & foolishly political!
Democrat governors still have closed rest stops on highways. This is both dangerous and inconvenient. New Mexico and Colorado are just two examples.
Biden and company don’t want to fix the supply chain problem. Just like they don’t want to fix the border or gas prices or anything else. For them, these aren’t problems. They are part of a strategy for destroying the republic and replacing it with a communist style system.
A vote for a Democrat is a vote against America. No admin. could be this incompetent creating one crisis after another, if not be design.
Democrats a party of destruction!!
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.” ― Marcus Tullius Cicero
Hmm, we know the left destroys everything it touches. In the very near future, the American people must insist that a politician, Democrat or Republican cannot serve for more then 12 years. Twelve years and you are done! ! !
The Courts have already ruled that the vaccine mandate is unconstitutional. Why is private industry even requiring employees to have a vaccine? Biden does not have the last word on this, the Courts do. So I put just as much blame on the companies doing this.
TAKE NOTICE
EPOCH TIMES has a new article on Organized Crime it is BIG into hiring people to raid and
shoplift stores. Then they get the items and sell them on EBAY, AMZ etc.
There was a GANG of 80 that looted a store – blocked the entry and went in and cleared the Dept
in a minute. The crooks are figured to carry weapons to intimidate the employees.
People end up buying STOLEN GOODS.-
ASWELL. Now it is OK to steal 950$ and get away with it. Cops cant be bothered with a Misd.
. Legal system just lets them go.
WHATS NEXT??? ALL this thanks but no thanks to the Minions of the great satan, Biden Admin.
It’s going to take 15 Republican Governors to try to improve or fix a Joe Hidiin’ Biden foul up. One thing about Biden … he is consistently wrong and/or a sure creator of problems for the Nations commerce and culture. I guess he couldn’t find any useful material to plagiarize to try to cover up his continuing ineptitude.
This business is broken! You wanna help small businesses then fix the very expensive insurance premiums and qualifications to get one! Stop electronic logbooks! Stop putting out of service drivers for small things there is another way to make them fix the issue, putting them out of service for 10 hours is not helping anyone! Stop insisting to get things fixed by calling road service they rip off the owners! Hold brokers, shippers, and receivers accountable for delaying loading and unloading, and lying!
A few more states need a governor like Mr. Lee!!!
Of course, no “Blue State” governors see the value in this. Shame on them!
I saw Chavez laughingly hand to bummer, a book about how to become a dictator by taking the country down. Chavez said “This is how it’s done ” I saw it on the news back when bummer was in OFFICE. Don’t kid yourself, the bummer is still in the background waiting to be our dictator. Once he brings us all down, he will come forward. This is my personal theory, but pray that I am wrong.
It has been proven time and time again that Biden Policies don’t work. Not only has been proven in our country but many other countries like Venezuela. There it takes a day’s pay just to buy a cup of coffee. All the spending the Democrat socialist communist radicals are doing they are putting our country is a position to fail. The government has only paid the taxes on the debt occurred since World War 1. With all the trillions that have been spent on the pandemic and only about 5% goes to actual infrastructure and the big 1.75 trillion that includes the new green deal and so much hidden in this to restrict or do away with our freedoms is insane not to say it is unconstitutional. I believe the constitution say the Federal Government shall remain small and delegate the states to carry out laws and regulations. What are they going to do when the Fed increases the tax rate and they start having to pay the interest on the trillions they have wasted? We have a unruly government as described by the constitution and needs to be removed from power and government reinstated in accordance with the Constitution of the United States of America.
This is a good step in the right direction, but I believe The biggest supply chain crisis isn’t the trucking problems…..it’s the mask, mandatory businesses lockdowns & mandatory vaccinations…..get rid of those and you’d see the nation start to roll again….
If the trucking program developed by these Republican governors is successful, how long will it take the Biden administration to claim the credit? I’m willing to bet that Biden will be very proud of his “success” in breaking the logjam and will profess that “success” during the mid-terms.
It’s said there is a 60 to 80 thousand truck driver shortage in the U.S. That may or may not be so, but then there must also be a shortage of nearly that many trucks or trailers as well. The containers that come on ships from overseas require a special trailer to carry them over the road because they cannot be hauled on a regular flatbed trailer. A lot of containers travel by rail to points inland and then are transferred to trailers for final delivery.
There are regulations on how many hours per day a truck driver can drive and that is for safety reasons. Can you imagine how crowded the highways would be with thousands more big rigs on them, most likely bogged down in and contributing to the current number of traffic jams? Those truck driver’s driving clocks are running, stalled in traffic or not so the distance they get to travel in a day is affected, slowing deliver times.
We “import” a million or more legal immigrants per year and at present two or more million illegal immigrants per year. Why politicians and corporate leaders think GROWTH is the best thing since sliced bread is unbelievable as that kind of growth is unsustainable. It’s not only bad for the quality of life for all of us, it’s bad for the environment as well. All you have to do is compare the density of people per square mile in the U.S. to that of Red China or India to see how good we have it here. Our quality of life and environment were even much better in 1970 when there was a short-lived call to stabilize the country’s population at 200 million. Today, 50 years later, the U.S. population is more than 331 million and growing rapidly mainly due to immigration, illegal more so than legal.
Again, the only way to correct the harmful laws this admin is pushing to further destroy America is to correct the 2020 election. We must DEMAND the audits continue. Once our rightful President is back in our White House, these damaging new laws will be reversed. Sure, DJT is not perfect, but his laws were a lot better than what we are living under now.
Republican governors trying to save us from the evils of Obama/Biden/Harris!!!
Here’s a key phrase: “If we can get government out of the way”. Biden has the power and he is in “control”. Nothing good will happen unless it favors the socialist democrats. It’s not about what’s best for America. We should also thank all the truckers out there. They are keeping America rolling. (as much as possible)
What’s missing is California. Most imported goods come through California ports. The union’s 2012 strike settlement prevents port modernization, so that is a big chokepoint. California’s AB5 drove independent truckers out of California. Unions and state government make it impossible for truckers to operate efficiently in California, so they don’t work in California.
The only way to fix the supply chain is to arrest those in government who are intentionally shutting down our nation.
Doesn’t help much when truckers are paying more than $4.00 a gallon for diesel. Don’t just look as gas prices, look at diesel, everything a truck carries will cost more.