A national trucker strike? Word travels fast, whether on the internet or the highway. Truckers nationwide say they plan to hit the brakes, park their rigs, and stay off the road on Oct. 1. This is after diesel prices spike and pay for hauling freight shrinks. It could affect everyone because drivers play a key role in getting goods to consumers.
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Drivers have been posting online about whether they will take part and whether a strike will change anything. In an exclusive phone interview with Baller Alert, a Mississippi trucker who goes by Maine said diesel costs are the biggest factor in a potential strike.“It’s the fuel,” said Maine, who has been driving trucks for almost six years. According to the trucker, the drivers expected to strike are owner-operators, who own their trucks and are contracted out. Some have already pulled over for good, he said.
“I have a couple of cousins staying home now,” Maine said. “They are at the house as we speak. They have shut it down.”
Owner-operators pay for their own fuel, tires, and repairs, Maine said, and they also cover permits and regulatory costs when they cross state lines. He said those expenses come out of what they earn on each contract, cutting into take-home pay. For many, the profit margin is running on fumes.
At the same time, Maine said diesel prices have gone up while the money paid to haul freight has dropped. Freight is the goods loaded onto trucks, and the rate is what a company pays to have it transported.
Maine said he has seen diesel at about $9 a gallon in California, about $8 in Arizona and about $7 in Texas. He said filling his truck from empty costs about $875, but drivers with larger tanks may spend between $900 and $1,200 on fuel in a single fill-up. That’s a tank that costs more than some monthly car payments.
Drivers say prices need to come down to about $5. “It’s not gonna work” at $6, $7, $8, or $9, Maine said. On the road, drivers are conserving money and gas as best they can. Maine explained to Baller Alert he’s seen truckers sleeping with their rigs shut off and no air conditioning. He also noted that some drivers are driving under the speed limit to save gas en route.
As for those allegedly planning to strike, Maine said he has traveled through 28 states and estimates at least 40,000 owner-operators will be parked at home. Baller Alert has not independently verified this information.
THE FUTURE OF THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY
If the strike happens, the effects would reach well beyond brokers and companies waiting on shipments. Trucks move much of what people buy and use every day, from groceries to packages, and Maine said he expects shortages. He also said company drivers could face challenges meeting demand. If owner-operators leave the road, demand for the remaining drivers would rise.
Also among the online chatter are concerns about the industry looking toward automation. Aurora, a self-driving technology developer, released plans to have 30,000 driverless trucks in operation by 2030. Baller Alert asked the Mississippi trucker about that development.
Maine said he has not seen any driverless trucks on the road and thinks it could be dangerous. He told Baller Alert said some loads require constant attention, such as flatbeds, which need to be checked and adjusted “about every 150 miles.” In his view, that job needs a human behind the wheel.
Baller Alert reached out to other truck drivers about the strike. None responded with a comment.
