'Now Is the Time for Mass Resistance': Blaze Readers React to Truckers Threatening to ‘Shut Down Washington, D.C.’ for Three Days Straight

TheBlaze posted a story earlier this week about a group of truckers who are planning to “shut down Washington, D.C.,” for three daysstarting Oct. 11 to protest the “corruption against the Constitution.”

The Facebook-fueled movement, “Truckers To Shut Down America,” states that truckers will refuse to haul freight, and they’re encouraging others to not shop or bank during that period.

(Credit: Facebook)

Here's what some readers of TheBlaze had to say about the issue:

old white guy

I would think that the only truckers who could show up would be independents without a contract load for the time period. others who are brokers for large firms will lose too much money if they take three days out. they would also probably violate their contract. sure would be great though to see wall to wall trucks jamming Washington.

gauge

As a small business owner, I’ll be shutting down my business for those 3 days.

No orders taken. No orders shipped.

I’ll use those 3 days to head to the range and get some practice time in.

phillyg

I’m behind these guys, too. First the bikers and now the truckers; how great is that! This might well be the beginning of a more massive uprising by the people, for the people.

earlybirdie

I would love to see this happen. It would show the government just how fed up the people are and get the attention of the sleeping masses who have no clue as to what�'s happening to our nation. I just don�'t see it happening.

1) Weekends usually bring high-volume sales so most stores stock up for them. Also, most people are off on weekends anyway so there�'s no sacrifice there. Most of the government is off on weekends as well so what�'s the point? It�'s like holding a protest rally on your city hall on Sunday when there�s no one there! Doing it on a weekday would have a greater impact. Doing it on a weekend would just be an interesting media event for Monday�'s news. If it happened on weekdays when there�'s actually significant people at the White House, every news agency would be focused on it.

2) Most truck drivers do not own the trucks they drive and taking a company�'s truck is thief. There could be consequences that most truckers can�'t afford to face. Standing up for what�'s right is a good thing but one has to consider how it will affect his/her family and those closest to them. It'�s hard to imagine anyone hurting their families for an event that probably won'�t make much of an impact on the problem anyway.

3) Jobs are scarce today and probably one out of every three truckers knows there is someone waiting in the wings to take their job. When/if the event takes place, those who don'�t own their trucks will likely be fired when it�'s over.

mastice

As much as I agree with them, and as much as I would love for it to happen… it won’t happen.

The owner-operators “may” stop for 3 days and put a small dent in things (mostly their paychecks), but the company drivers won’t for fear of keeping their jobs in this terrible economy. Trucker strikes are nothing new. I know because, like some others here, I am a former OTR truck driver.

It is true that if every truck stopped right this moment this whole country would be nearly shut down within 72 hours. But that is the key… you have to get every truck off the road to make that kind of statement.

I wish them luck, really I do. But I don’t look for it to happen.

cobradriver

This can be easily accomplished in all parts of the country on every major interstate. A group of eight to ten trucks form a line to block anyone trying to pass them and drive about 10 to 20 mph.

I believe this was done in the 70s during teamster strikes to tie up commerce. Way to go truckers!!!

Williac0318

I actually agree with the truckers. There is too much corruption in Washington, D.C. Especially the last five years you have seen a president who thumbs his nose at American taxpayers and trashes the American Constitution. He believes rules don’t apply to him. In Congress you have the senators and representatives pulling strings for the pork barrel projects to be funded. Heck with the American taxpayer. Look how they exempted themselves from Obamacare. It’s not good enough for them, but it’s good enough for the taxpayers who pay their salaries. I hope D.C. is shut down and it causes gridlock and chaos! Just maybe the media will pay attention and start doing their jobs instead of being Obama’s mouthpiece.

crazycatladyinlibland

My nephew Facebooked us yesterday to tell us. He has a “Small” trucking business. Between gas prices, taxes, etc. it's a challenge. Plus he is a Patriot. So it will take everybody just to do something when people are making a stand. (Even if you don’t think it will work, it definitely won’t if NO ONE supports them). If you can’t get out and protest like the WEIRDO 99% people, you can show your displeasure by not shopping on those days, or banking or anything that weekend, to help. Plus if you think about it even 5,000 trucks would probably clog up D.C. near the capitol. I know I will stock up and pay my bills ahead of time.

Zombee

Now is the time for mass resistance. Americans have a duty to resist a tyrannical government.We are all now serfs (a.k.a. ‘tax slaves") of Washington D.C.’s permanent political class and Obama’s progressive oppressive big government authoritarian rule. Our independence is systematically being taken away from us and we are steadily being made serfs of the state. Speak out to remain free or be quietly enslaved. Restoration of our Constitutional Republic begins at the local level. I stand with the truckers.

capitalismrocks

Peaceful Protesting — I’m in… My company will take NO ORDERS and will not SHIP ANYTHING for those three days and I will post a message on our web storefront on those days.

Time to show Washington that WE THE PEOPLE have had it with this anti-economy, anti-capitalism and anti-Constitution administration and the radical leftists in our Senate and in Gov’t agencies.

Time to use their Alinsky tactics against them…Two can play at this game!!!

Afungi

The teamsters did a strike on New York back in the '60s. They went into the mayor'�s office and told him they would shut down the city. He asked how? By staging accidents at key intersections throughout the city and gridlock the streets. The mayor caved less than an hour later. That would work better than starving them out. It would do in hours what the shut down would do in at least 3 days.

Righty88

I think this is a great idea. These gangsters in Washington need to SEE the true number of Americans who are sick and tired of being told what’s best for them. Obamacare is forcing people out of jobs and onto welfare and food stamps. If they let the UNaffordable healthcare act take effect, it will be the final nail in the coffin for a nation dependent on government. The whole country is dependent on trucks to deliver everything we need to live. If we control the trucks than we would have a lot of leverage over American commerce. And as far as them replacing the truck drivers with military drivers...not without the trucks they can’t. They need to pick up their load of cargo as usual and disappear with it for 3 days, and disable the GPS tracker when they go. It’s a better protest than shooting up a Navy base and killing innocent people. After the 3-day protest, they need to surround the White House and blow their horns for a while. And the sides of their trucks would make great billboards for some messages they need to get out. Just thinkin’.

truckingal

Nice daydream somebody’s got going here-but its not gonna happen! In fact, I doubt if there are any actual truckers involved at all. This is just somebody’s harebrained scheme.

Plenty of reasons truckers won't be involved in this: First, most are company drivers; they don't own the truck. They are tracked by satellite. If they go off route, their company knows that within an hour. Then they shut off their fuel card. Now, diesel costs over $4/gallon and they get about 7 miles/gallon. So they won't get far without a ton of cash. Many of the electronic company trucks also have kill-switch capacity built in, so the company can shut the truck down and know where it’s at while they send the cops. That IS a federal crime, ya know. Then, most D.C. routes are "no trucks" routes . . .and the fines are very big indeed. Big enough that, when you get out of jail and the truck out of the "truck jail," you very likely won't have a job and will soon lose that federal CDL...so you’ll NEVER drive again! Plus can't pay the fines. But, you’d never make it as far as D.C. anyway: last time this was tried (and it WAS a serious effort) over trucker-specific issues a few years ago, the surrounding state Motor Carrier officers came out in force, pulling them in and putting them out of service a state or so away.

eddvoss

First let me present my credentials: 23 years behind the wheel, pulling flatbed, dry vans, reefers, and lowboys. I have watched the government attack our industry for years--prices, exhaust emissions, work schedules, safety ratings, and Hours of Service Rules that make no sense to equipment inspection standards that make no sense.

I don’t know who these people are but I hope they do well with this. I remember the attempted shut down in '93. Reports were that only about 1% actually participated. There was some positive changes but it didn’t last long. We truckers can be a cantankerous lot, but we love what we do and that is part of the problem. Now if we can come together this just might work.

For the old-school drivers 3s and 8s, keep the dirty side down and the shiny side up. This is the old Coaster from 3088 Volvo blvd, Highway somewhere USA. I’m gone.

Miss Impala

As a current CDL holder, a current dispatcher, and a trucker for the past 12 years, I support these guys wholeheartedly.

But… their reasons are more political than trucking related. And I can see this being a bit harder to pull together in a way that actually makes a meaningful convoy.

As a Patriot, I cheer them on and wish I could participate. Most drivers are fed up with the federal government already going above and beyond its scope by harassing truck drivers just because they need to justify their positions.

Some of my issues:

1) EPA forcing the industry to put unproven technology in new trucks just to reduce emissions. Engines and Auxillary Power Units.

2) Allowing states, municipalities and businesses to pass anti idling laws even though it is federally and state mandated for drivers to get rest while sweltering in a 100+ or below-10-degrees cab.

3) Pushing insurance companies to not cover trucking companies that don’t install in their trucks expensive logging software, gps, and communication devices that force drivers to use electronic logs, thereby pushing independent truck drivers out of business because they can’t compete. Thus running small business out again.

4) Pushing legislation thru that requires the Independents to carry $1 million bond in addition to the insurance.

5) Rumor: Obamacare actually is causing trucking companies to keep driver’s hours below 30 hours (a local fuel hauling company UPT) as they can’t afford the insurance increases.

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