A group of truckers held a peaceful protest in Texas on Monday in response to higher fees, lower rates, and overall changes in practices at their trucking broker.
The demonstration was held on August 21st at the El Dorado San Plant Vest Facility near Odessa, Texas.
The group of drivers told News West 9 that they were protesting a company called Fifth Floor Freights, or “5F.” The drivers say that the company recently lowered rates for drivers, increased fees, and upped their hours in an attempt to make up for the lowered rates.
“This has been going on for a few days,” said Jose Chavez, an apparent spokesperson of the group. “We’re just here trying to express ourselves because the work is going down, the prices are going down and we’re not making enough money.”
“We don’t know everything, or why everything has been changing so quickly, it was just recently, a few days ago, that everything changed,” Chavez continued. “Percentages are going down, they’re not increasing fuel and they’re adding fees.”
“Everyone is looking to better up the work. They’re putting us fees on the time that we have to rest. We used to have some days off, but now we cannot rest because they are putting some fees that we have to pay. Everybody is looking just to better up.”
The truckers say they are just interested in the company going back to the way it was before: offering them better rates, more rest time, and fewer fees. Fifth Floor Freights told … that they have no comment on the situation.