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By Dr. William Oliver Hedgepeth
Faculty Member, Transportation and Logistics Management        

In transportation and logistics management, the last mile of the supply chain is critical because it involves items delivered to your home or business. Recently, more than 400 truckers, known as the Freedom Convoy, protested vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions by interfering with that last mile and creating a 1.6-mile blockade over the Ambassador Bridge.

This bridge is highly strategic. It connects Detroit, Michigan to Windsor, Ontario, and it handles 25% of all trade between the U.S. and Canada.

While this temporary shutdown caused by more than 400 trucks not leaving Canada was a burden to travelers and major manufacturers, it is over now for the most part. But global and local business owners in Canada and the U.S. are still adjusting to the scars of lost wages and delays in product development.

The Freedom Convoy Affected Several Companies in the US and Canada

The trucker blockade adversely affected the production work of several U.S. companies such as General Motors Company, Ford Motor Company and Stellantis. For example, Canadian manufacturers specializing in automotive parts could not get their parts to U.S. customers. As a result, the daily financial cost of the blockade was about $1 billion.  

The Freedom Convoy not only affected the flow of auto parts and other supplies between the U.S. and Canada, but also impacted the economy of local towns and cities. Due to clogged streets, people could not get to work without difficulty and local businesses such as retail stores and restaurants saw a drop in business.

Related link: A New Awareness of the Importance of a Well-Run Supply Chain

US Companies Resorted to Workarounds for the Blockade

When a supply chain has a blockade like the Freedom Convoy, what do you do? Typically, there are five ways to move products: trucks, aircraft, trains, boats and pipelines.

Some companies came up with their own solutions to the blockade. For instance, General Motors resorted to using cargo planes, which flew the parts the company needed over the Detroit River.

The Freedom Convoy Was Also About Exerting Power in Society

This supply chain stoppage was about more than just truck drivers opposing a vaccine mandate to enter Canada. Politico reported that the protest had social ramifications as well. According to Politico, Mayor Drew Dilkins of Windsor, Canada, stated, “You have a number of people who are on the ground here, who are part of the protest group, who have outwardly stated that … they feel such a passion for this particular cause that they’re willing to die for it.”

The Freedom Convoy was a heavily funded event that used donations from crowdfunding sites GoFundMe and GiveSendGo to keep the protest going. Ultimately, the blockade grew from a mere local protest to an international pushback against all COVID-19 restrictions and a call for the resignation of Canada’s current prime minister.

Politico noted, “The convoy demonstrations started as a movement to oppose a Canadian government policy that requires mandatory vaccinations for truckers who cross the border from the U.S. The campaign quickly widened into a well-organized, heavily funded crusade to push back against Covid-19 restrictions and, for some, to see Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down.”

Related link: Truck Driver Shortages Have Increased Supply Chain Problems

The Protests Seem to Be Spreading, But What Can Be Done to Prevent Them in Future?

The Freedom Convoy has also sparked truckers’ protests in other areas, such as Coutts, Alberta, Canada. The disruption impacted various supply chains and workers in that part of Canada.  A similar blockade took place under the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, Michigan.

This truckers’ blockade involving Canada and the U.S. began due to the COVID-19 pandemic and actions by politicians, lawmakers and ordinary citizens in reaction to the subsequent restrictions. Everyone, it seems, wants to have a voice in what is to be done in bringing back life as it was before 2020.

This pandemic has been used to close or restrict people’s access to schools, businesses, churches, and homes. But opinions on how to properly handle pandemic restrictions vary widely.

There is a possibility that the COVID-19 pandemic will continue through 2022 and into 2023. If it does, it can be expected that local law enforcement, policymakers, and politicians will create new infringements on personal behavior.

But to prevent this type of blockade from happening again and affecting supply chains, trucker unions should be invited to local and state government meetings to express their objectives and recommendations. It would also be useful for local and state level policymaking groups to invite truckers or truck union representatives to the table as voting members or at least seriously consider their opinions. Armed with this type of transportation knowledge, governments could create better policies and potentially avoid future blockades.