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Apr 1, 2008 6:53 pm US/Central
Loosely Organized Trucker Fuel Protest In Texas
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ―
Across the nation, truckers are protesting the rising cost of diesel fuel. In Illinois, truckers parked their big rigs on Interstate-55 and other independent truckers stayed off the road in what's described as a fuel protest.
There was evidence of a loosely organized protest at a truck stop in North Fort Worth, along Interstate-35 near Alliance Airport, but it was mostly talk and little action, except for one clear exception.
"If I go out there and drive I'm slapping these guys in the face and they don't deserve it," said long-haul truck driver Cal Piper. Piper put the brakes on his big-rig for 24 hours to send a message. "Our system needs to be fixed. This is not just about diesel fuel prices," he said.
Piper and thousands of other long-haul drivers claim their industry needs a major overhaul, from state and federal regulations, to fuel prices, and standard of living.
On Tuesday protests in North Texas were few and far between, but there was plenty of talk.
"Some drivers are out there are talking that they're gonna block the fuel aisles at truck stops," explained truck driver Jerome Atwood. "Some of 'em are talking about convoying down the highway doing 45 [mph], blocking off the highway or whatever."
Atwood's truck is owned by a company in California but he drives all over Texas. He says while he wants to support his fellow drivers in protest he simply can't afford it. "I got a baby on the way – I wish. I wish I was able, 'cause if I was able to do that I wouldn't be doing this at all."
Piper says he'll stick to his 24-hour strike, which will end Wednesday morning, and hope it sends a message. "These drivers don't want violence, they don't want to hurt this country, they want to open people's eyes, and they want to get this industry economically back in control," he says.
Piper says he and his rigs' owner will lose about $2,000 because of their 24-hour protest.
Many big-rig drivers told CBS 11 News that the real protest will come on April 3rd when even more truckers are expected to take part in a fuel strike.
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