Posted on 09/17/2013 2:51:56 PM PDT by True Grit
Last year the American Truckers Association prepared a report for Congresshighlighting the susceptibility of the nation’s just-in-time delivery system, the majority of which is made possible by the transport and delivery of freight. In the event of a catastrophic disaster such as a war that drives fuel prices through the roof or even a natural disaster such as a solar flare that renders electronic trucks inoperable, there would be a “a swift and devastating impact on the food, healthcare, transportation, waste removal, retail, manufacturing, and financial sectors,” according to the report.
The backbone of commerce in the United States are the truck drivers who spend long hours on the road ensuring our very survival as a modern society.
But with fuel prices continuing to rise, wages dropping, jobs becoming harder to find, and rampant corruption in Washington D.C. furthering the country’s economic death spiral, America’s truck drivers, like the majority of our fellow citizens, are fed up.
Between October 11th and 13th they have called for a general strike, asking truck drivers around the country to refuse to haul freight, a move that could carry with it a significant impact on the American economy.
The protest calls for truckers to make their way to Washington D.C. in a massive convoy in an effort to call attention to, among other things, the Benghazi cover-up, the recent attack which killed 25 members of Seal Team 6, ever rising fuel prices, and claims that President Obama has engaged in treasonous crimes.
Moreover, they’ve requested that the American people join them in solidarity by not shopping or engaging in any economic activity that benefits the government or their corporate interests.
The American people are sick and tired of the corruption that is destroying America! We therefore declare a GENERAL STRIKE on the weekend of October 11-13, 2013! Truck drivers will not haul freight! Americans can strike in solidarity with truck drivers!
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Breaker 1 9 calling on all Trucker to shut America down for three days October 11-13. The American people are bleeding out with no relief in sight, It is time to change the NEWS. Let us show our elected officials that we are 100% fed up with corruption and the blatant disregard of the Constitution that they swore to defend.
Bob tail it hammer down to the bull$hit city with flags flying high.
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My fellow Patriot this effort is to support the truckers in a major shut down of America ion a 3 day strike October 11th thru 13th.
Obamacare will be in effect and most people will be ready to take action. No commerce on those days stock up on items that you will need. No banking no shopping no money transactions. It does not matter If a million or 50 roll through DC in this effort. Congress will listen to We The People. Which is remove Obama from office for crimes of treason and misdemeanors. We want Congressional hearing on Benghazi and Seal Team 6. Louis Learner put in jail. No amnesty, remove all Muslims in our government that do not uphold the Constitution. Remove Eric Holder from office for crimes against the people and the Constitution. Last but not least is Fuel prices.
Via: The Truckers to Shutdown America Facebook Page
The protest comes on the heels of a massive biker rally held in Washington D.C., and other grass roots efforts to hold the government to account for various Constitutional transgressions including everything from stripping Americans of their right to bear arms, to forced health care mandates soon to be implemented across the country (with exemptions for members of Congress and corporations with insider access, of course).
Calls of accountability have grown louder over the years from all political sides, starting most notably with the Tea Party movement and progressing to Occupy Wall Street.
The corruption and need for real change in America’s government has transcended political lines.
If the hundreds of thousands of truckers across America who keep our delivery systems running efficiently were to join together and stop hauling freight for even a week, the impact would be devastating and could not be ignored.
There’d be no food on the shelves, no fuel at our gas stations, and no medical supplies at our pharmacies and hospitals.
Congress and the President, who would like nothing more than to be perceived as our saviors and benefactors, would have no choice but to address the concerns of freight haulers, because the American people would feel the effects of the protest directly. And, chances are they’d be in the streets protesting themselves because of lack of access to essential goods they can’t live without.
We may often feel as if we, as individuals, have no power against the mighty United States government, but as Karl Denninger points out, we have much more power than we think.
If we get just 10% of America on board the entire game changes.
Especially when the business world — and government — realize that the next one is Black Friday weekend.
Just 10% of Americans can change the course of history, much like they did during the Revolutionary War.
Whether it happens in October, during Black Friday sales this November, or at some point in the future, this seemingly untenable situation is coming to a head.
Robert Kennedy may have said it best:
A revolution is coming — a revolution which will be peaceful if we are wise enough; compassionate if we care enough; successful if we are fortunate enough — But a revolution which is coming whether we will it or not. We can affect its character; we cannot alter its inevitability.
Robert Kennedy Senate Floor May 9, 1966
The snowball in America continues to roll down the hill, gaining speed and mass.
Awesome idea, kudos. It’s time for Americans to shutdown DC, be it trucks, bikes or masses of people. They need to realize that THEY work for us.
Shut it down!!!
Wonder if they would stop air freight because of this ? No trucks to move the freight would cause the freight to back up in the cargo facilities.
while the trucks are there, the corrupt and treasonous trash needs to be loaded up and hauled out.
while the trucks are there, the corrupt and treasonous trash needs to be loaded up and hauled out.
Agreed !!
Fuel for trucks is expensive, but oil prices will go up regardless. Increases in uses of trains for freight are inevitable.
/johnny
I know a lot of truckers are conservatives. I’d like to see it happen, but this sounds like a lot of wishful thinking.
I’d rather shut the Federal government down. Truckers should concentrate on shutting down service to DC.
Yep. They'd get a lot more drivers responding just by simply parking the rigs enroute to the delivery. No laws as such are broken and it would have the same impact sending the same message. That would also make it a nation wide possibility as well.
Well said !!
They are not going to park their rigs enroute to the delivery. These loads have to be delivered on time. Things are different now that electronic logs are the law. Companies who have been using paper logs until a few months ago are struggling to get the dispatchers and drivers used to the fact that they can’t cheat anymore.
The people who want a load from Nashville to Orlando on their timeline don’t understand that a driver who gets stuck for 3 or 4 hours between Atlanta and Macon can’t fake it anymore. On the peoplenet, the home office can see when a trucker is stuck in traffic for hours going 20 miles an hour. The DOT can too. My husband thinks they are a good thing. He has been driving for over 20 years and he is tired of seeing the assholes driving at 80 miles an hour in the left lane when the sign clearly says trucks in right two lanes. These companies are still trying to adjust to this and if they don’t stop making unreasonable promises about these loads, they are the ones who are going to have a walkout on their hands. But what the Hell do they care, if a trucker gets busted over his hours, it doesn’t count against them. It counts against the driver and they don’t have to pay the fine.
The majority of trucking companies are coming around and are strictly enforcing the new rules but the others are slow to learn. The drivers are coming around too but some of the old timers are very resistant and losing their jobs and that’s a good thing.
So many people have romanticized truck driving from the songs and movies and it isn’t like that at all. It can be a good living so I’m not complaining just trying to be realistic.
I expect there are many owners of trucking companies with similar sentiments.
I ran my tail off to get a load to Greenville, Mississippi by early on a Friday afternoon and was promised a load to Knoxville afterward in Meridian. We hauled electrical transformers for McGraw Edison and other freight. I made my delivery and pulled into Meridian plant just in time to watch a company truck driving off with a load. I went in to the company and asked about my load and they said it just left on the other truck. My Dispatcher knew I was headed there. I called in after I had made the Greenville drop. There went my weekend home. I live about 20 miles north of Malfunction Junction aka Knoxville..
I sat in Meridian till noon Monday and got another load this one headed to Idaho. I wasn't really that ticked off yet. I got south of Nashville and my head lights started going out on me and it was about 4:30 in the afternoon. I pulled into the TOA and asked if their shop could take a quick look as I suspected it was a bad relay and a quick fix. They said it would be morning at the earliest. So I located the Freightliiner Dealer and went there to get a relay and do it myself. I had called the Freighliner Dealer and they had one but closed in about 30 minutes. So I headed to the dealer for the part.
Along the way there I clipped the trailer into a steel pole on a real bad turn at the bottom of the exit ramp. It was a cosmetic ding no harm to anything else but I was honest and told the Dispatcher. The same Schmuck who had me going after the missed load Friday and left me sitting in Meridian all weekend.
He proceeded to start blessing me out. He was well known for it. I proceeded to tell him no harm was done and I was saving the company a repair bill on the lighting issue and getting the freight moving again. He kept yelling and I said look you can either shut up and I'll get the load back on the road or I'll just park it and I'll head to the house it's your choice. He started yelling at me again so I repeated my words. He kept up and I said OK then you decided. The keys are at the fuel desk find another driver. Bye. LOL. I came home and got a 40 hour week job in building maintenance and made a lot more money with a lot less stress.
I also got put out of service once at the scales in Ringold, GA. They hit me on a worn trailer tire and put me out of service. Just so happens next exit of course was a Truck Stop that sold nothing but brand new tires. I called the company from the scales to wire them my fine. I got to the truck stop under escort and when I told the company they only had new tires he said OK get in the truck and make a run to the Tennessee line. The guy I was talking to at the company was the company safety officer and a former trooper.
The truck stop employees had an eye on me and the mechanic caught on to it. I asked him who he was calling after I had hung up he said the scale house. I called the company back and said you're buying a new tire. But it's been almost 30 years ago.
I didn't mind the driving or even the paper work. But I did mind staying out over two weeks with little pay to show for it because I got laid over in New Jersey or elsewhere for up to three days. We only got mileage pay that was it. I think it was about $.18 a mile solo.
They don’t even have to do that. They could just park at the nearest truck stop. If enough do it trust me everyone will get the message when they go to the store and see empty shelves and can’t even buy fuel because it wasn’t delivered.
bttt
Why does everybody think truck companies will not support this? The cost of fuel affects the owners as well as the independents.
Neil
“Where liberty dwells, there is my country." –Benjamin Franklin
I don’t see any reason why millions of non-truckers, pickup truckers, bikers, automobile drivers can’t participate in an event like this. The message has little to do particularly to truckers and more specifically to Americans. I made two trips to that cesspool this month and am not opposed to making another trip next month.
She could have been a truck driver...
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