15 Republican Governors Launch 'Operation Open Road' to Fix Supply Chain Snarl

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 deregulating critical trucking functions in Tennessee.

"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."

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.

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 has estimated that there's already a driver shortage of around 80,000.

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.

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.
 

https://amac.us/15-republican-governors-launch-operation-open-road-to-fix-supply-chain-snarl/