Hazelwoods Logistics says that “77 employees have lost their jobs, following the loss of an Amazon contract. Within the last month, another local company had to shut down for the same reason (the loss of Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner Program).”
While the Trump administration reviews millions of visas of foreigners in the United States, truckers are being burdened by a decision to stop issuing visas, fearing for their jobs. Ruslan Zelenye, who has spent eight years behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer, six in Ukraine and two in the U.S, exclaims: “I like it. I like driving it, I like being a truck driver…I maybe go to California, Massachusetts, New York, Nebraska…this is my life.”
While many Americans are trying to truly understand what a government shutdown entails, there is one industry that will keep on trucking — the trucking sector. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) indeed has a specific plan for how it and the administrations under its purview will continue.. Truckers will still do what they do best, which is keep America moving. Amidst a government shutdown, “non-essential federal activities pause and employees are often furloughed. However, essential functions protecting life, property or national security continue — meaning trucking safety, enforcement and oversight remain in place.”
Read more…
