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Monday, March 23, 2020

Trucking Deemed Essential in Governor's Stay at Home Order

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:

Dear Louisiana Trucking Industry:

Governor Edwards just issued a "stay-at-home" order for the State of Louisiana, which will remain in place until after Easter. The document can be accessed by clicking here. With respect to essential workers who are exempt from the order, the Governor's order cites the list established by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which can be accessed by clicking here. As it relates specifically to our industry, broad exemptions for transportation and logistics are in place. Specific examples include:

Farm workers to include those employed in animal food, feed, and ingredient production, packaging, and distribution; manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of veterinary drugs; truck delivery and transport; farm and fishery labor needed to produce our food supply domestically;
Retail fuel centers such as gas stations and truck stops, and the distribution systems that support them
Employees supporting or enabling transportation functions, including dispatchers, maintenance and repair technicians, warehouse workers, truck stop and rest area workers, and workers that maintain and inspect infrastructure (including those that require cross-border travel);
Truck drivers who haul hazardous and waste materials to support critical infrastructure, capabilities, functions, and services;
Workers supporting the safe transportation of chemicals, including those supporting tank truck cleaning facilities and workers who manufacture packaging items.
On Friday, I requested that our industry be exempted from any such order and, based on my review, I believe our industry is adequately exempted. My request was that our industry and those that support us - including truck stops, towing companies, and truck dealerships - be considered essential. Based on the Governor's remarks today, I do not see a requirement that workers carry with them a copy of this order while working, though there is no harm in doing so.

Our partners at ATA have worked hard to make sure our industry is adequately exempted from this through the Department of Homeland Security. I commend Governor Edwards for utilizing this same list in order to create uniformity in interstate commerce. If you have questions about the order's applicability to your operations, please contact me directly and I will work to get you an answer.

Consistent with the spirit of the order, I do strongly suggest that exempt companies consider the extent of their staff who are essential to operations, and allow those who can work remotely to do so.

Wishing you, your families, and your employees good health and safety.

Sincerely,

Chance McNeely
LMTA Executive Director

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