Over 330 truckers have pledged to join “A Day Without a Trucker” on September 5, 2017.
In alliance with the Trucker Lives Matter movement to enact the Michael’s Law Amendment, truck drivers will parade in front of the U.S. Capitol in memory of their murdered fellow truckers. Organizers encourage those who cannot attend the event in Washington to participate by shutting down for the day.
Trucker Lives Matter
Trucker Lives Matter (TLM) is a South Florida-based non-profit transportation group that represents truckers from all across the nation. This race-neutral group is an extension of the movement to enact the Michael’s Law Amendment.
Trucker Lives Matter’s main goal is to allow every American to legally carry firearms across states lines. This pro-gun/equal protection bill is named after Michael Boeglin, a trucker, who was killed and burned in his truck in Detroit in June of 2014.
The current petition addressed to National Rifle Association (NRA) President, Wayne La Pierre, asking for support and endorsement of the Michael’s Law Amendment has 6,867 signatures. TLM had previously petitioned President Obama and created have created a second petition directed toward the NRA.
TLM is making demands for comprehensive legislation that would allow Americans to carry firearms as they travel throughout the United States. Currently, the law does not allow individuals to travel from one state to another with a firearm – regardless of permits or concealed carry licenses – unless the state that one is traveling to has a reciprocity with that state that one is traveling from.
James Lamb, a spokesman of Trucker Lives Matter, speaks about efforts to get congressional approval of Michaels’ Law Amendment, “We are trying to get all truckers and at this point all Americans, the right to carry interstate firearms for personal protection.” The NRA has been working on this issue of state reciprocity for over 10 years.
The Department of Labor reported that over 500 workers in transportation have been murdered in the last 10 years while on the job.
While the NRA has been working on this issue, 500 transportation workers have died as a direct result of not being able to protect or defend themselves while doing their job.
Lamb continues to explain, “We are very concerned with the anti-gun states, states like New York, California, Illinois etc., that just do not want to grant reciprocity… We are concerned that there will be 10th Amendment challenges, that this type of law will not withstand this kind of scrutiny because certain states do not want to accept gun standards.”
TLM aims to take an existing federal statute (Interstate Transportation of Firearms” (18 U.S.C. 926A)) and change it only slightly; instead of transporting unloaded and locked firearms, TLM aims for legislation to pass that would allow drivers to carry a loaded gun in a readily accessible capacity.
“This is a pro-trucker venture and applies to all Americans… This is a grass roots movement, this is really about the average blue collared worker. We know what the political climate is right now… People have had enough with politics and lobby groups. They are just fed up.”
Lamb and the TLM petition recognizes that if this amendment passes that they will then have to begin work with motor carriers and shippers to change their policies in regard to drivers carrying firearms.
“A Day Without Truckers”
On average, 50 transportation workers are murdered on the job each year. This statistic does not include accidents or deaths occurring at truck stops or while individuals were not working. This is 50 willing homicides while the victim is on the clock.
Truckers are fighting back against the rise in on-the-job murders by taking off September 5, 2017, and driving to Washington D.C. This protest aims to bring awareness to the need for truck drivers to be able to carry firearms nationwide.
Only 6 days ago was the most recent instance of gun violence and the murder of a truck driver. On August 8, 2017, Tennessee truck driver was shot to death in Baton Rouge. Read more about it here.
“We are today establishing a planning committee and will seek the assistance of law enforcement so that the memorial procession, which will have a religious component to it in furtherance of truckers’ First Amendment rights, does not unreasonably impede traffic, create havoc for people trying to enter or exit the interstate, or encourage tail-gaiting. We would encourage residents of Washington, D.C. to consider taking public rail transportation to get to work on September 5th as we do not know how many truckers will respond to the call to join our national memorial procession,” SBTC President and TLM Spokesman James Lamb told said today.
Lamb is currently organizing the permits needed for this event and is waiting for the permit from the city of Washington. Regardless if permits are approved in time for the event, TLM still intends to push for the one-day shutdown of the United States Capital outside the DC “No Truck” zone.
TLM encourages truckers who cannot make it to the event to shut down for the day in honor of the 500 truckers who have been murdered on the job in the past decade.