Narrator: Truck drivers from all over the US
are exhausted, underpaid, and frustrated.
Kris: Long durations, long miles throughout the day
to get stuff where it needs to be.
Jim: The trucks are the backbone of the country.
If we stop, everybody knows this country stops.
Narrator: Hundreds showed up for this convoy
protesting COVID-19 restrictions in February.
Kris: I wanted to be in the first wave,
make sure that we were making a big statement.
Narrator: But much of what plagues the industry
started long before the pandemic.
So why are drivers in the US so frustrated,
and how did we get here?
Truck driving used to be
one of the best blue-collar jobs around.
It was a golden ticket to the middle class.
A strong union fought for high wages
and good working conditions. But it didn't last.
The troubles that truck drivers have today
really began in 1980 with deregulation.
Narrator: That's when a new law
called the Motor Carrier Act
got rid of the fixed rates truckers used to charge.
The trucking industry's probably changed
so much over the last 10, 15, 20 years.
It is something that doesn't get recognized
as much as it should.
Narrator: Kris Barnes has worked
as an independent contractor since May 2021.
International, you want to sneak up in front?
Narrator: He was frustrated with COVID restrictions
at the US-Canada border that made his job much harder.
So he drove nearly 1,000 miles from Tacoma, Washington,
to join the convoy in Adelanto, California.
The plan was to drive cross-country and reach the capital.
He's traveling with his daughter and his dog.
Kris: I think Taco's feeling it the most,
because, you know, small quarters,
and he's getting to the point where he's letting me know
he doesn't like you getting in his area.
Narrator: Like most drivers, he owns his big rig.
It cost him $23,000.
He also has to pay for gas and repairs.
Yeah, I've got an older truck, but I'm a gearhead,
so it's something that I keep moving down the road
till I get to the truck I want.
Narrator: Kris spends $8,000
on these expenses every month.
He has to drive at least 2,500 miles to break even.
That'll be one day, you know.
Narrator: That's part of why critics of the industry
have taken to calling trucks like these
"sweatshops on wheels."
It's where drivers live for up to 20 days at a time.
And they often work around the clock,
hours that match up to two full-time jobs.
Jim: We're not out here to get rich,
just out here to make a living and do what we can.
That's pretty much what we're here for.
Narrator: Kris even does his laundry on the go.
Kris: Basically got a week's worth of laundry to catch up on,
sheets and pillowcases and all that,
try to get ready for the day.
Narrator: The average salary for the industry
is about $50,000 a year.
With their long hours, that means many drivers
are working for less than minimum wage,
and for the last decade,
truck drivers' jobs have gotten even harder.
That was built out over a long time.
And now it's so convenient for somebody to order something,
get it out their doorstep.
Narrator: And so much free or fast shipping
means a lot of traffic.
The shipping crisis has created even bigger delays.
Ted: If we don't have trucks, we don't have food.
We don't have product.
If we can't move it, we can't sell it.
We can't sell it, we can't make money.
So it's very important that we got trucks.
Narrator: Lines stretch for 5 miles
outside a port in California last October
as drivers waited to get into terminals.
No one's paying for that lost time.
Two-thirds of the day,
that driver is out there waiting to work,
doing unpaid work, living out of the truck.
I mean, it's an incredibly inefficient system.
Kris: There's always stories about somebody
that'll be sitting at a place for five, six hours
just before they get even checked in.
Narrator: The trucking industry
is dominated by a few big companies.
They will get drivers to sign a contract
that says, "We'll train you for free,
but you have to work for us for a year."
And once drivers are in that situation,
of course, they can't leave the job for higher wages,
and so they end up accepting subpar wages.
Narrator: Viscelli says most new drivers quit
after about six months,
although that often means they'll pay tons of fees.
It's effectively a system of debt peonage.
Narrator: Even before the pandemic,
more than 90% of truck drivers
were leaving the industry each year.
But new workers take their spots.
Steve: It's just cheaper to bring in a new driver
than it is to try to hire
and retain an experienced, safe driver.
Narrator: The truck drivers
who joined the Freedom Convoy say they felt forgotten
even though they're keeping America running.
Most people don't realize how hardworking it is
and how big a job it is.
I've done it from one end to the other.
Narrator: At the start of the pandemic,
US truck drivers were celebrated as frontline workers,
but by the time they watched Canadian truckers occupy Ottawa,
the same old frustrations were back.
Kris: A lot of recognition, initially when COVID hit,
about how important trucks were,
and now people are saying that trucks
aren't necessarily that important,
and that we're the problem.
Narrator: When a group from California
decided to organize an American convoy, they led the charge
by railing against COVID-19 restrictions,
even though most of those rules had already been lifted.
The protests still resonated with folks across the country.
Thank you! (people cheering)
Thank you, yeah! (vehicles honking)
Supporter: We're here to witness and support the truckers,
the people who are in the convoy.
Love these people, really do. They're my inspiration.
(vehicles honking)
Narrator: They gave out food
to the truckers at rest stops
and packed these rallies to show their support.
It is time to remind the governments around the world
that they work for ... Crowd: Us!
Narrator: The line of trucks
stretched for miles at some points.
Today, we decided that we're going to go onto the Beltway.
Narrator: But when the convoy got close to Washington, DC,
it didn't make the impact they wanted.
The National Guard deployed 700 members
to control traffic in the capital,
and rally organizers told drivers
to stay out to avoid arrests.
It is very important that we do not get off the exit
that we're not supposed to be getting off of.
Rick: I'm good with not driving in.
I'd like to stay here
until we actually accomplish something concrete.
Narrator: Truckers drove around DC in circles instead,
but the movement fizzled out in about a week.
Kris: This is a small portion.
I hope that we achieve everything that we need to.
Narrator: Still, Kris says
he doesn't regret joining the protest,
even if it was ignored
like many of the issues truck drivers face.
He says the support was about
much more than mask and vaccine mandates.
Kris: When people start seeing trucks on the road,
it's something that they can connect with.
And brothers and sisters
that are actually running these trucks,
they know that they're on the front line also.