Voice of America
Page 29
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Carried along by that outspoken magazine Overdrive ("The Voice of the American Trucker"), owner-drivers in the USA have certainly managed to get the ear of the Government. The result may be almost the exact opposite to the objectives which so many British hauliers are seeking : it looks like giving the small carrier access to backloads which the large, established carrier is denied.
Things came to a head two years ago when general inflation and the sudden rise in fuel price suddenly put thousands of hauliers close to the breadline; you may remember that the independent American hauliers caused chaos by withdrawing their services in December, 1973, and things became very rough, with violence and counter-violence, To try to help the hauliers, the US Government allowed an immediate 6 per cent rates surcharge and promised to take action to help road transport meet inflation.
Now the Independent Truckers Association thinks things are moving too slowly and has warned a Congressional transport committee that unless it sees some action to help the small operator soon, those trucks could roll to a halt again all over America.