Thousands of truckers planning nationwide shutdown in 2019

An online trucking group with more than 4,000 members is plotting a nationwide truck driver shutdown in order to raise awareness about various trucking regulation and policy concerns.

The Facebook group “Black Smoke Matters” says that they are organizing the shut down to begin on April 12, 2019. Group organizers are encouraging truck drivers across the nation to take the day off as part of the protest activities.

The group’s website outlines the changes that they are protesting in order to see, which include:

1. Hours of Service reform
2. Updated truck driver training and safety standards
3. A change to ELD regulations so that they are only required for companies with more than 10 trucks or trucking companies that have a poor safety rating.
4. Standardization of inspections and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulation enforcement
5. More involvement from truck drivers in the creation of new FMCSA trucking regulations.

In October of 2018, Black Smoke Matters members participated in a major demonstration activities at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Some group members even helped to shut down a portion of southbound I-95 for several minutes in order to protest the overregulation of the trucking industry by the government.

You can click here to keep up with the latest information on the planned protest in April.