Savannah Drayers to Protest Long Waits, Low Pay

The holiday rush has hit U.S. ports, and in a repeat of 1999 port truckers are taking the opportunity to voice complaints about their work conditions.

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Truckers at the port of Savannah, Ga., plan to protest low wages, long delays and high fuel prices starting Thursday.

In August of 1999, similar complaints prompted port truckers around the country to begin protests that continued into the New Year.

Jim Stewart, a Savannah port trucker, said nothing has improved in Georgia since then.

“It’s still the same story,” Stewart lamented. “Drivers don’t have any choice but to protest. Everybody is going out of business.”

Stewart said long delays of up to four hours decimate drivers’ productivity, since they are paid according to how many containers they haul.

Another problem are low wages, combined with record-high prices for diesel fuel.

Stewart said steamship lines have implemented surcharges to make up for the high diesel prices, but the compensation hasn’t trickled down to truckers.

Stewart said he expected over 150 drivers to gather for a rally, which will include speeches by local political candidates. The protest will begin Thursday and continue through the Labor Day weekend.

For the full story, see the Sept. 5 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.