TORONTO, Ont. – As roadside checkpoints emerge to help slow the spread of Covid-19, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is suggesting that truck drivers should carry a letter confirming their roles as essential workers.

While the checkpoints have not affected trucking operations to date, some jurisdictions have established more restrictive measures for non-essential travel. The letter, CTA says, could help transportation workers quickly identify themselves – especially in situations when they are traveling to and from work in a non-commercial vehicle.

A Transport Canada template for such a letter refers specifically to the federal government’s Guidance on Essential Services and Functions in Canada During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Through the document, managers confirm that a specific employee “has the freedom of movement both within and across provinces and territories and access to essential infrastructure, including such things as restrooms and rest stop facilities. This movement may also require travel across multiple municipal, regional and provincial boundaries in order to allow access between home and work, which could take place in a personal vehicle and not necessarily a commercial vehicle.”

“The ability for truck drivers and other essential workers that support the trucking industry to be able to move seamlessly as part of their regular work duties, or between work and home is critical. This letter is a key piece in allowing that uninterrupted movement of the supply chain,” says CTA president Stephen Laskowski.

Copies of Transport Canada’s template for the letter can be downloaded in English and French.

SOURCE – TRUCK NEWS