In what might well be a first in a presidential election, Republican primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will join dozens of working CDL holders and authorized trucking businesses at the Iowa 80 Truckstop Dec. 21, at 6:30 p.m., for what organizers are calling the "Truck Driver Summit."
The event stems from work put in by the CDL Drivers Unlimited group, contacting various presidential candidates in hopes of providing a forum for outreach and education with truckers. Candidate Ramaswamy "was the first to respond" in the affirmative, said Lisa Schmitt, one of CDLDU's leaders.
CDL and/or MC# holders, Schmitt said, should register to attend. Given the state of Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus coming up in January, preferences will be given to Iowa residents as well as CDLDU members, yet "if we have room we'll invite whoever's there" at the truck stop to join the discussion.
Iowa 80 Group representative Heather DeBaillie confirmed the well-known Iowa 80 Truckstop's movie theater "on the third floor" will be the venue.
"It seats 80," said Schmitt, so space is limited. "We'll be talking about trucking, and drivers will have a chance to get their questions asked."
Ramaswamy issued a press release on December 14 noting he would roll out an official trucking policy at the event, adding that “truckers are a crucial link in the American supply chain that power America’s economy. They’re not just haulers of goods -- they're the guardians of freedom on our highways."
