Strike Puts Truckers 'Up Against The Wall'

Strike puts truckers 'up against the wall'

By STEPHEN CAIN

NEWS STAFF REPORTER__________*

Merle Draper made his final run from Chicago last night, “holdin’ my hand over my face every time I went under an overpass.

“This is my last load,” said the independent steel-hauling man. “I’m dropping it off in Detroit and goin’ to head ’er into the wind ... goin’ home to Harrisville and sit this one out.”

Draper, 49, had stopped off at the Wolverine Truck Plaza at 1-94 and Baker Road this morning to sort through the papers on his load, wash up and fortify himself with coffee, cold cereal and toast.

Up at the counter, company driver Tim Scheidell, 28, dropped another quarter in the jukebox, punched out something “country,” and talked about his trip in from the Windy City:

“FIVE OF US convoyed across the interstate from Chicago, got in about 11 last night. The company gave us one choice ... either run or hit the unemployment line. I’d like to support the independents, but if I do, I’m out of a job.

“Coming into a major urban area like Detroit, particularly where the independent truckers have been hit so hard by the economy, a lot of the guys are trying to convoy for safety.

“I’ll tell you one other thing: I wouldn’t get off on a side road by myself anywhere. Something like this brings out the kooks, so you got to look out for the bridges or someone sitting up in the hills with a rifle. Anyone who drives a rig is at risk.”

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Tim Scheidell: “Five of us convoyed...from Merle Draper: ..."goin' to head 'er into the wind"

Chicago"

But the truck plaza was quiet Monday night and this morning, with only two dozen rigs - most of them company-owned trucks -parked on the acres of concrete. That’s less than half the normal number. All but a handful of independents stayed away.

Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Oltersdorf parked visibly near the plaza exit, but things were so peaceful, he drove off to continue his patrols through Scio Township.

Waitresses, who measure business by how many pots of coffee they have to make and how often they refill the sugar bowls, had time to stand around and chat.

NEITHER DRAPER nor Scheidell had run into any problems yet, and their conversations turned from the threat of danger to economics.

“I used to have my own rig, but I lost it,” said Scheidell. “The company I leased to went bankrupt, and I ended up having to join the Teamsters and drive for wages.

“I want to save up enough to get my own rig again, but it doesn’t look good. The majors (freight companies) are trying to drive out the troublemakers, and by that they mean the independents.”

Draper is hoping that enough of his fellow independents as well as Union drivers stay off the road long enough to force Congress “to do something” about the package of fuel and use taxes set to take effect beginning April 1.

“I don’t mind the taxes because the roads do need to be rebuilt, but we’ve got to get our rates up so we can afford to pay them,” he said. “The problem is deregulation cut the rates we get paid, and most of

the guys weren’t making it even before these new taxes.

“The question is how many guys will sit this out. I hear guys with the big payments, $1,200 or $1,600 a month, complaining that they’ve already missed a couple of payments and they can’t afford to stop driving.

“Hell, they can’t afford not to stop driving because they’ll lose their trucks in another six to eight months anyway unless we can do something about the rates we get.

“I GUESS I’M lucker than most because I have only small payments. But I made only $12,000 in drivers’ wages last year, and that’s hardly more than welfare.

“You’d be surprised on how little you can survive with, and truckers will put up with a lot because they like to drive. But they’re up against the wall now.”