| I use the terms 'member,' membership,' 'sign up,' or 'join' when
asking other drivers to email and have their name added to this site
only as a means of conveying a message in an understandable way, but
technically, there is NO OFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP!
Every driver is still an independent individual making his or her own
decisions about what they will and will not do.
All I am doing on this site is exercising my constitutional right to
free speech (while it still exists).
All you are doing by agreeing with me and your fellow drivers is
exercising your constitutional right to freedom of choice.
If we do agree to strike or boycott, again, all each individual
person is doing it exercising their constitutional right to freedom of
choice.
If twenty drivers stand side by side at a shipper or receiver and
demand fair treatment, all they are doing is excursing their
constitutional right to freedom of peaceful assembly. Albeit they are on
private property and do have to leave if asked to do so, there is no law
that can prohibit a group of individuals from standing together and
agreeing on something.
An organization whose members are in a recognized union, or whose
members pay a fee of some kind to join the organization may be forced to
return to work if they strike, but NO ONE can
legally threaten, demand, coerce or an any other way attempt to force
another individual or group of individuals to perform a task, including
the President of the United States.
Why not? Because that's
called SLAVERY, and that is ILLEGAL!
If you take the time to read over the issues on this website,
you will find that every proposed solution to a problem or issue that
has been addressed on this website so far is in the interest of public
safety, including an equal speed limit for cars and trucks and removing
lane restrictions for trucks, because they are all intended to reduce
driver stress and fatigue.
What you will not find is any suggestion or recommendation that
any type of violent force be used to solve any of the problems
we are facing as truck drivers, nor will you find any suggestion or
recommendation that we use our vehicles as weapons or road blocks in any
way that would interfere with the ability of any vehicle to travel on a
public road, including emergency and rescue vehicles.
We DO NOT need to resort to any kind of violent or destructive
behavior, nor do we need to block any access to private property, public
roads, or thoroughfares with our vehicles, and not only will I will not
support any such action in any way, I will oppose it!
Resorting to violence of any kind, or using our vehicles in any
manner that obstructs the flow of traffic on public roads or
thoroughfares, or prevents access to private property not belonging to
the owner of the vehicle is not only illegal, but it is the equivalent
of a shouting match.
While we may never actually gain public support for the changes we
need, we definitely DON'T WANT people yelling and screaming because
trucks are parked in the travel lanes of a road or they are blocking the
entrance or exit to someone's place of employment.
We will accomplish a lot more by being mature, staying calm and
standing firm than we will acting like children by yelling, screaming
and throwing temper tantrums. The last thing I want to see on
the news is some idiot yelling and shaking his fist at the camera. I
would much rather see a mature, well spoken adult clearly and calmly
stating why we feel it is necessary for us to either boycott or shut
down. People will listen to what this type of individual has to say more
than they will a person that comes across as a ranting and raving
lunatic that is yelling and making threats.
So, when you do stand together with other drivers and
inform a shipper or receiver you will not haul their freight unless they
can move trucks in and out of their docks in a more timely and efficient
manner, and when you do stand together with other drivers that
work for the same company you do and you tell your company you are
refusing to haul a load because that particular shipper or consignee is
being boycotted, and if it does becomes necessary for us to park our
trucks for 72 hours or so in order to get the laws changed that need to
be changed, don't yell and scream at anyone, don't park your truck
somewhere that it shouldn't be parked, and don't make any kind of
threat.
Just talk in a calm, clear voice and don't let someone on a dock or
at a company whining and screaming and acting like a baby upset you. If
they try to turn it into a shouting match, just turn your back and walk
away. After all, that's what we are going to do anyway when we boycott a
company, a state, or if we shut down. |
