Trucks keep rolling…for now

A small protest by truckers over fuel prices has limited impact as relatively few park their rigs. But companies see driver shortage ahead from rising diesel costs.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Despite a threatened strike by some independent truck drivers, many trucks were still on the road Tuesday. But for how much longer?

Several industry experts predict problems ahead finding drivers because of higher fuel costs.


Some independent truck drivers, known as owner-operators since they own their trucks, had talked about not working Tuesday to protest the rise in diesel prices.

And there were reports Tuesday of truckers on the New Jersey Turnpike snarling traffic by driving at only 20 miles per hour as a way to protest high gas prices.

But officials with the Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association, which has about 160,000 members nationwide, as well as the Truckload Carriers Association, which represents trucking companies that use owner-operators, both said they had reports of only sporadic shutdowns by drivers.

“We’ve heard from a lot of members who have no intention of participating,” said Norita Taylor, spokeswoman for the OOIDA. “What’s more important is what happens tomorrow and the next day and next week if diesel prices don’t go down. More and more truckers will be faced with decision about what to do, whether or not to stay in the business.”

CNN