Utah has exempted truck drivers from a controversial new COVID-19 related requirement. 
 -  Photo: Joshua T / Pexels

Utah has exempted truck drivers from a controversial new COVID-19 related requirement.

Photo: Joshua T / Pexels

Truck drivers have now been exempted from an order requiring adults entering the state of Utah to fill out an online form about their potential exposure to the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 illness.

On April 9, Utah Governor Gary Herbert issued an executive order on inbound travel. It established a requirement for all adults entering Utah to complete a travel declaration form, an electronic form people will receive via text message upon entering the state. The order called for the form to be completed within three hours. A Q&A from the governor's office specifically said truck drivers were included.

However, on April 10, the governor issued a revised executive order listing a number of exemptions. In addition to truck drivers, airline employees and first responders have been exempted.

According to a notice from the Nevada Trucking Association, which had called the order unconstitutional, the American Trucking Associations, Utah Trucking Association, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration helped convince the governor to exempt truck drivers.

“We appreciate the governor's office for recognizing the operational burden the requirement puts on the trucking industry and others that are responding to this public health emergency,” said the Nevada Trucking Association.

When the order was initially announced, Paul J. Enos, CEO of the Nevada Trucking Association, called it unconstitutional. “This is an impediment to interstate commerce, which was one of the main reasons we jettisoned the Articles of Confederation and adopted our Constitution way back in 1789."

About the author
Deborah Lockridge

Deborah Lockridge

Editor and Associate Publisher

Reporting on trucking since 1990, Deborah is known for her award-winning magazine editorials and in-depth features on diverse issues, from the driver shortage to maintenance to rapidly changing technology.

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