Truckers stage a protest
The Chicago Truckers have staged a protest for their conditions.
It is reported that about 20 truckers had taken part in a ‘slow roll’ protest on Friday. Their destination was from suburban Monee to Downtown Chicago.
They were protesting for their conditions.
The police had to intervene and they stopped the truck drivers from entering Downtown Chicago. They had blocked exits along the Dan Ryan Expy.
The drivers end destination was to protest outside the Trump Tower.
The drivers were part of a group called ‘Black Smoke Matters’. This organization is a nationwide effort.
Such similar protests were also organized by the organization in New York, Michigan and California.
The Chicago Police have also come forward stating why they prohibited the trucks to enter Downtown Chicago.
They say that semi-trucks are not allowed in some parts of Downtown Chicago including Michigan Avenue. The trucks could create a public safety risk including blocking ambulances.
The truck drivers want to see changes in the federal laws. Some of the demands include incorporating more flexible driving hours, more training for the new drivers and relaxed rules for electronic logging devices.
There were federal regulations implemented in 2017. These regulations made sure that the truck drivers use electronic logs to record the driving hours and putting limitations on the driving duration.
The regulations prohibit the drivers to driver for more than 11 hours at a time.
The drivers say that they are facing a lot of problems due to these regulations. One of the problem is that there are not enough safety stops for the drivers.
The drivers have to sleep on ramps in the middle of the driveways.
The drivers also feel that no one is listening to them because of their lack of representation in Washington, D.C.
