Truckers Protest Thwarted On Way To Trump Tower

MONEE, IL — Illinois State Police stopped a three-hour truckers' protest before a caravan snarled traffic on the way to its promised destination, Trump Tower.

Earlier in the day, Illinois State Police warned drivers that the protest, called a "slow roll," was expected to cause congestion along Interstate 57 and other major traffic arteries. The truckers left at 10 a.m. from Monee to travel to Chicago and back, and had expected to drive by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Center in Matteson and the Trump Tower in Chicago. They headed for the Dan Ryan and Kennedy expressways to get there.

However, state police blocked entrances so truckers could not reach Trump Tower, the Chicago Tribune reported. They traveled northwest past the downtown Chicago area, then went back toward Monee on the Tri-State Tollway, and ended their journey at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the paper reported.

The group of truckers, known as Black Smoke Matter said they were protesting because they wanted changes in federal regulations that included flexible working hours and more training.

My brother, Brett Hobbs, who is not a journalist but who lives in Monee, stopped by the truck stop where drivers had gathered for a safety briefing in the morning before the trip began.

"I talked to a guy who told me they are sick of a lack of training and they're looking for changes in hours to service. He said they are sick of lack of sleep and how their lives are dictated by a little back box," Hobbs said.

The driver asked Hobbs if he wanted to hop in the truck and go with. My brother declined.

Organizers of the event said truckers would drive the posted speed limit in the right lane. A spokesman from the group told the Tribune and other outlets that the event would be safe.

State police had warned that slow-downs and congestion on roadways were likely.