Truck Drivers May Strike
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Updated: 1:28 AM Mar 31, 2008
Truck Drivers May Strike
High diesel prices may force truck drivers to take action
Some truck drivers say a nationwide strike could be held on April 1 or April 3 against soaring diesel prices.
Posted: 6:31 PM Mar 30, 2008
Reporter: Tiffany Tiffany
Email Address: Tiffany.Teasley@wilx.com
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Truckers like Terry and Chuck have gotten word that there could be less truckers on the road nationwide come Thursday.

"I heard they're going to have one on Thursday on account of the fuel being so high," said Terry Woodard, a truck owner and operator.

"I just heard heard they were going to strike on Thursday, but it won't change anything with the prices," said Chuck McLaurin a truck owner and operator.

Cash-strapped truckers are fed up with soaring diesel prices that mean longer hours and less profit.

"It's the worst its ever been," McLaurin said.

"No one's making any money," Woodard said.

Terry Woodard has been in the trucking business for 40 years and says if the boycott happens, he's on board.

"If they strike, I'll have to shut down," Woodard said.

Within a span of a few years McLaurin has seen his fuel bill shoot up from $24,000 a year to $60,000, forcing him to work overtime -- but even with the extra hours he can barely break even.

"I don't think it's really making up for the price of fuel, because there's a lot of them going out of business," McLaurin said.

But some truckers say taking even one day off could cost them more than a day's pay.

"Most people can't afford to go on strike because if they took a day off they'd just have to work harder to make up for a day of not working," McLaurin said.

Both truckers say they spend nearly $800 dollars a day on diesel and the strike isn't just about their limits, but their livelihood.

"It's a lot of loss at one time, it's not just a truck and trailer," McLaurin said. "It's a home and cars and a way of life too."


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