Vol. 72/No. 19      May 12, 2008

Militant/Seth Dellinger

Lisa Martin and her husband Clair, a Pennsylvania truck driver, at April 28 rally in Washington, D.C., protesting fuel costs.

They carried signs reading, “What comes first—kids or gas?” and “Stop the open pipeline through Wall Street.” The rally formed in a cold pouring rain and was followed by a press conference in the Senate office building before drivers were chased out by Capitol Police.

Chants of “Now!” echoed through the halls at every demand for relief from high fuel prices. Demands included the release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves, windfall taxes on the oil companies, and price controls on oil. Plans to hold another protest in New York City on May 1 and a national shutdown May 5 were announced.

“I drove 1,400 miles and spent $1,300 on fuel,” trucker Michael Garret told the Militant. Referring to the impact of high fuel and maintenance costs on safety, Garret said, “You take risks that you wouldn’t otherwise because you have no money for maintenance. I can’t pay the rent and fix the truck, but if I don’t fix the truck I’m not paying the rent next month.” He said he pays $13,000 a year for insurance and $10,000-$15,000 for maintenance.

Drivers who work for big trucking companies also are pressured by climbing fuel prices, Garret said, because companies offer bonuses for better mileage. That means driving slower and working longer hours, often without sufficient rest in between shifts.

“The freight rate, at about a dollar a mile, hasn’t changed for years,” said driver Bucky Newman. He said his truck “grossed $900 yesterday and $650 went to fuel.”

The largest number of drivers came from Pennsylvania. Two busses came from near Harrisburg and one from the Gettysburg area, according to Jenna, an activist with Truckers and Citizens United. She had organized a cookout the night before for truckers that drove down from Maine and stayed the night in Pennsylvania.

About 50 dump truck owner operators and drivers from the Washington area organized in the United Metropolitan Truckers Association also participated, according to R.L. Hall, a protestor who owns 15 trucks. In order to make the most of every run, dump truck drivers are often forced to run overloaded, he said.  
 
 
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