One person who will clearly not miss them is Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who oversees the truck industry and is currently in the middle of trying to hire more drivers in the sector. He says the right-wing protest group, which was originally set up to protest the coronavirus orders, is not representative of the truckers as a whole. “I do not want a handful of people to be considered as talking about an industry in some way, because the good name of the trucking workforce is worth a lot more than a few extreme voices,” Buttigieg said during a Yahoo Finance Live. interview on Monday. The minister spoke to Yahoo Finance on Monday after an event with President Biden to publicize the government’s achievements for truckers. They gathered in front of several trucks in the White House South Lawn to highlight progress in the industry and try to recruit more drivers, such as Maria Rodriguez, a trainee truck driver and immigrant from Venezuela, who spoke with Biden and Buttigieg. “I thought I was going to ride one of these suckers today,” Biden joked as he explored the grandstands. NFI Industries truck apprentice Maria Rodriguez speaks to the White House during an event on the Biden government’s Truck Action Plan as President Biden and Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg listen. (MANDEL NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
“This industry honestly needs to do more”
After failing to comply with her demands, the escort says she is now heading to California to protest the coronavirus bills, but promises to return to DC to “finish this job,” says co-organizer Mike Landis. The protest became noteworthy for its extensive inflammatory commentary. At one point during his visit to DC, a speaker said that Black Lives Matter Square in Washington would be “tarred and winged,” and at another point, protesters threatened the mayor of Washington. Members of white nationalist groups such as the Proud Boys were mentioned in the crowd. Vehicles, including 18-wheeled trucks, RVs and other cars are participating in an escort to protest coronavirus-related orders and a range of other issues. (REUTERS / Stephanie Keith) The protests are unlikely to help the Biden administration’s efforts to expand the truck industry to a more inclusive nature. The story goes on “This country and this industry must honestly do more to include and support women, to include and support drivers and colored workers, and that is one of the things we work through this working group,” he said. Buttigieg. Management aides say expanding opportunities for women includes efforts to create safe and inclusive work environments that they say are critical to expanding the group of potential truck drivers. “The workforce is aging,” Biden said on Monday, adding: “It is becoming increasingly difficult to hire new drivers, especially women and people of color, in an industry that our nation and our economy desperately need in full force.” The industry is currently overwhelmingly white and masculine, but has become slightly more comprehensive over the last decade. The truck industry estimates that there are currently 80,000 truck drivers, while the Department of Transportation estimates that 300,000 drivers leave the industry each year to look for opportunities elsewhere. “It’s not just a matter of basic justice and fairness and the right thing to do, but also as a matter of economy, this country can not afford to leave any talent on the table,” says Buttigieg. Ben Werschkul is a writer and producer on Yahoo Finance in Washington, DC. Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, YouTube and reddit.
