Industry groups oppose trucker protest

   Two large trucking industry organizations have come out against a planned protest by truck drivers this weekend on the D.C. beltway.
   Truckers plan to travel on three lanes of Interstate 495 at 55 mph for the entire weekend, shutting down the flow of goods in the area.
   While FreightWatch International warned of potential snags in the supply chain, reports vary as to the potential impact of the protest or if it will even occur.
   The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has worked to distance itself from the drivers associated with the protest, saying it is more effective to create an open dialogue to address issues than to organize events like the one this weekend.
   The organization said the truckers have not secured permits for the protest, and the association’s official magazine reported there’s not enough space to handle the protest.
   “The individuals leading this particular effort have no direct affiliation with trucking and appear to be using truckers in order to gain media attention and air other political grievances,” OOIDA said. “We do not support assembling in an unlawful, unpermitted manner, committing crimes, making threats on our lawmakers, or behaving in such a way to cast safe, professional truck drivers in a negative light.”
   The American Trucking Associations has responded in kind, stating it’s “not a sponsor of this ‘strike’ nor do we endorse or condone the activities of these few individuals.”