Some local truckers rolled into Columbus on Friday to protest numerous issues that the state has placed on them, including a proposed increased tax on diesel fuel.
Local truckers met up in Beaverdam, to join others in London, Ohio to participate in a slow rolling protest to Columbus. The protest is to raise awareness of the issues within the trucking industry. There are several ongoing issues such as training, parking, hours of service, and safety. They are also upset about the House version of the transportation bill that included a proposed 20 cent increase on diesel fuel.
“Stop passing the buck on to the guys that purchase diesel. It’s not just the truckers, it’s the farmers. 20 cent a gallon increase might seem like pennies, but when you factor in that these trucks are running 10, 20, 30 thousand miles a year just in this state alone, that adds up,” said Scott Reed, trucking advocate.
Reed says there could be a nationwide trucker strike on April 12, 2019, to raise awareness to concerns they have on various topics including rules for electronic logging devices and the lack of places to park and rest.
