Read FreightWaves’ followup to this story here.
Members of a truckers’ group calling itself StopTheTires2020 planned to shut down their trucks Wednesday to make a stand against President-elect Joe Biden’s “ban on fracking.”
Oregon trucker Jeremy Rewoldt, the organizer of StopTheTires2020, said the U.S. is a capitalist economy and oil is the fuel “she survives on.”
“The blue-collar workers are literally the ones that make the wheels turn,” Rewoldt wrote in a Facebook post. “Without truck drivers, this country could not survive for long.”
Biden has clarified that his proposal only opposes hydraulic fracking on federal lands.
The Facebook group, made up of truck drivers, members of the U.S. military and their families, along with Trump supporters, had more than 51,500 members early Wednesday.
One of the group’s first members, who goes by “Lowe Frank” on Facebook, said the group picked Veterans Day to boycott delivery of nonessential supplies to major U.S. cities “as a way to show support for President Trump.” Trump has not conceded the presidential election.
“Everyone in their hearts knows that Trump had [the election] stolen from him,” the group member told FreightWaves. “It is to honor our fallen military, our forgotten veterans and our truck driving veterans.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest data, of the 3.5 million truck and delivery drivers, one in 10 is a military veteran, which is another reason why the StopTheTires group selected Wednesday to protest.
One of the group members whose spouse is a member of the U.S. military supports truckers’ efforts to shut down the country as a way to let everyone know that “we, as citizens of America, have a voice.”
“Over half of truckers are veterans themselves so what better way to pay homage than this date,” the Facebook group member said.
Did you participate in Wednesday’s StopTheTires protest? If so, please send an email here. Your name will not be used in any follow-up article without your permission.
StopTheTires: Will truckers show up?
On Monday, a FreightWaves poll on social media asked truckers if they were aware of the StopTheTires2020 campaign and if they supported it.
Of the respondents, 56% stated they had never heard of the group. Another 16% said they were aware of the group’s efforts but were not participating, and 23% said they don’t support shutting down their trucks.
Truck driver Dan “Dusty Chrome” Porter of Florence, Kentucky, has seen a lot over his 52-year trucking career.
He doesn’t support the StopTheTires2020 strike because previous efforts over the past 12 years to shut down over low rates like with the Black Smoke Matters slow rolls or protests over soaring fuel prices in 2008 have mainly been unsuccessful.
“There just aren’t enough truckers that agree on anything or everything to show up and make a stand that will hurt the economy,” Porter told FreightWaves.
Job loss?
The coronavirus pandemic hurt many truck drivers who say they pivoted from flatbed to dry van or refrigerated freight to keep the wheels turning in 2020.
With some loads paying over $3 per mile, some truckers say they have to set aside their political beliefs to feed their families.
“I hauled cars and took a big hit because airports were closed and people weren’t driving much because of COVID,” the truck driver, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, told FreightWaves. “If someone else passes on loads, this just gives me the advantage to make money.”
Some just like disruption and chaos
Some company drivers said they feared losing their jobs if they refused to haul loads Wednesday as part of the StopTheTires protest.
Others in the industry thrive on negativity and chaos, said Shelle Lichti, a 28-year trucking veteran.
“There are some who have no plans to protest but want to support the industry,” Lichti told FreightWaves. “Then some people revel and roll around in these types of circumstances.”
A second StopTheTires protest is set for Nov. 26-29.
Read more articles by FreightWaves Senior Editor Clarissa Hawes
Supply chain reports no disruption after trucker protest
Election 2020: Truckers largely plan to vote in person on Nov. 3
Truckers for Troops event Nov. 9-16
Election 2020: Truckers rate Trump on transportation, trade issues
This is a developing story
Charlie
Lol, oh nooo watch out a group of %1.5 of the active CDL holders are going to try to do something useless as per usual. Fracking should be banned it is toxic for our water reserves and over all cause way to many problems not to mention there has been nearly a 20 times increase in tremors the east USA has been having because of it. You self absorbed fools. Look at the objective picture and quit being selfish fight for things that are fully messing up the industry. ELD’S, to expensive of over head, def system enforcement, the greedy brokers /companys, the big mega companys who keep the over all rates at a low due to there contracts to make there overhead running costs cheaper, the roads (Michigan still under construction since 25 years ago on i75 still under construction, the lack of parking, forcing us to go in to areas where 53 ft trailers with sleeps aren’t able to go, the lack of parking (all rest area and truck stop parking spots combined only make up for 300,000 spots to accommodate 3mil truckers” realistically half of them are actively on the road but even then thats 1. 5 million drivers and only 300k spots lol. QUIT BEING SHEEP SO WE CAN MAKE CHANGE YOU IGNORANT TAIL CHASING TRUCKERS. LEARN WHAT TO FIGHT FOR TO OBJECTIVLY BENEFIT US? OH BOOHOO YOU CANT HAUL FRACK SAND NO MORE?? THERE IS AN UNGODLY AMOUNT OF OTHER THINGS YOU CAN HAUL!!!!!
Charlie
I was gonna weigh in but you said it all!! It didn’t work 40 years ago. You can’t accomplish anything without planning and cohesive organization.
Herbert g Stamper
I drove cross country 30 years, hauling meat and produce. Ive spent more time pissing on the side of the road than most of these “solar powered” So-called truck drivers.
Over the years I came to know for a FACT most drivers have balls the size of bb’s when it comes to standing up when it matters. Ive seen how they refuse to stick together for ANY cause. They always have an excuse, like I gotta feed my family. Well, if you can’t take a day off, still feed your family, you are driving the wrong damn truck, and if you are afraid of your job, then you aint important to your boss. Gutless wonders.
After all Trump did for America and truckers, they prove what ingrates they are.
NOW, THAT BEING SAID, I have also known a lot of patriotic, stand up AMERICANS who drive, and they are the ones Trump speaks of when he says truckers keep America great.
Charlie
Lol Trump didn’t do anything besides for have a chat and go to the nearest truck stop pick out 4 truckers and shake there hands and give them a key as a PR stunt. That’s it. Read up will yuh?
Charlie
Do you really think Trumpf cares about you Truck Drivers….Lmao
Tim weidner
Well said my friend.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
Do something that really matters like low rates and fuel surcharge. Who gives a damm about a racist privilege tax evading criminal who didn’t win the first election.
Bob
I’ve been driving 39 years all over U.S. and Canada, including Alaska. ELD is BS, pay isn’t much better.
Andy
I’m shooting down that days too
Harold Rigmaiden
Shutdown for what are you kidding me. Trump is conning you guys. He lost theelection fare and square. I have driven trucks for 27 years and this is not the right situation to call for a shutdown. You dontwant to work than others will take your place.
Norman Gene
These truckers are traitors and are in direct opposition of the authority of our Constitution. Biden has not even been acknowledged by these “fakeatriots” nor Donald Trump but they are boycotting his fracking agenda??? Like really?? What a joke, i am a trucker and these “fakeatriots” do not represent me nor my beliefs.
Have they not heard of the 3 basic great loyalties of GOD, Family, Country! Not Trump, Party, Family….. get out of here with this nonsense freakin traitors and hold up traffic in your own neighborhood/city…..
David Brown
It will come by Biden once he is sworn in.
Frank Bennett
Once the price of fuel sky rockets because of no fracking and we have to rely on fuel from out of the country then you’ll hear these Biden truck driver’s bitch and moan.
GMONEY,,
Trump or Biden, you idiot’s are going to take food off your table because you CAN’T CONCEDE,REALLY. So I guess trump stole it from Hillary, GET OVER IT DRIVERS.GET OUT OF MY WAY JERKS ..
Terry
There are 100s of signed affidavits of fraud in multiple states. This does not include other issues, such as software problems, mistakes by humans, missing or dead voting. If you are so confident of the Biden victory, it should be able to withstand all types of challenges. Gore conceded 37 days after the election in 2000, but this time many more states are at issue, not just Fla as in 2000.
Stephen Foster Grant
Your an ass! I drove 1.5 million mi in my life! Shut it down fool.