Biden thanks truckers for keeping America’s economy going, recalls meeting a female driver called ‘Big Mama’ and says he wished he could have driven one of the ‘suckers’ during his White House speech
- Biden thanked the nation’s truckers for keeping the economy going
- “You all stop, everything stops,” he said of the truckers
- He spoke on the South Lawn with large trucks parked behind him
- He said he wished he could drive one of those ‘suckers’
- Biden also climbed into a truck to look in his cabin
- And he remembers meeting his first female truck driver – named Big Momma
President Joe Biden on Monday thanked the nation’s truckers for keeping the economy going as he touted his efforts to strengthen the supply chain in the event of a shortage.
Speaking in front of three 18-wheelers parked on the South Lawn of the White House, the president said he wished he could drive one of these “suckers” and said he met his first trucker wife – Big Momma.
He told the crowd of truckers, union reps and labor leaders that he wanted “to thank you all for continuing to move America forward, because that’s literally what you do.”
“You all stop, everything stops,” he said of the truckers.
The president, who calls himself a “car guy”, spoke wistfully of the trucks behind him.
“I thought I was going to be able to ride one of these suckers today,” he said.
He stopped and climbed the stairs of one of the trucks to take a look inside the 18-wheeler’s cabin.
President Joe Biden climbs onto a tractor-trailer parked on the South Lawn of the White House
President Biden thanked the nation’s truckers for keeping the economy going during an event on the South Lawn of the White House with large trucks parked behind him
The president was touting his administration’s plan to increase the number of truck drivers. Ahead of the event, which was also attended by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the administration noted that since launching its efforts in 2021, hiring has increased with more commercial driver’s licenses available in the first two months. this year compared to the corresponding period last year.
Truckers move 72% of the goods in the US economy, according to industry estimates, but the Covid-19 pandemic has led to increased labor shortages for the industry.
The White House said that since January 2021, states have issued more than 876,000 of these special licenses, and trucking employment now exceeds pre-pandemic levels by 35,000 jobs.
The plan is part of a joint effort by the Department of Transportation and the Department of Labor and stems from infrastructure legislation that Congress passed and Biden signed into law last year.
Biden has focused on rebuilding supply chains after shortages that have increased during the covid pandemic.
Prices for food, gas and basic necessities are hitting their highest levels in 40 years, hitting Americans in the pocketbook ahead of the midterm election and sending Biden’s polling numbers plummeting.
President Biden said he wished he could drive one of these ‘suckers’
Biden tries to improve supply chain as Americans grow frustrated with high prices
An NBC poll last week showed just 33% of voters approved of Biden’s handling of the economy.
But harsh working conditions for long-haul truck drivers make it difficult to retain drivers, who often leave for other companies or leave the industry altogether.
The average annualized turnover rate for long-haul drivers at large companies was 96% during the third quarter of last year, according to the American Trucking Associations, a trade group. Among small carriers, the turnover rate was 73%.
The job usually consists of multi-day trips where the driver spends nights away from home and sleeps in the truck cab. The median salary is $47,130 per year, which is higher than the median for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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