New York has charged former president Donald Trump $355 million for allegedly inflating the value of his properties in order to defraud banks (despite ZERO banks losing any money). But truckers across the country have decided to protest the ruling by boycotting New York City and even New York state. Glenn spoke with some of the truckers and their message was clear: “Under no circumstances will I cross that bridge again.”
TranscriptBelow is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: One of the best things I've heard in a long time. And I would love to talk to truckers. If you're a trucker, and you would love to participate in this.
Not going to ask your name. Just call us up
If you're one of the truckers that are refusing now to drive to New York City after the $355 million fraud ruling on Donald Trump.
A conservative social media influencer, a trucker who goes by Chicago Ray, posted a video clip in which he claims some of his colleagues will stop making deliveries to New York City to protest the ruling.
I've been on the radio, talking to drivers for the past hour. And I've talked to ten drivers. And they are going to start refusing loads to drivers, starting on Monday.
So does that include any drivers that are listening to me now?
Rob, you're a truck driver in Pennsylvania. Do you deliver much to New York City?
CALLER: Well, I delivered -- about a month ago, I delivered eight times to the Five Boroughs.
GLENN: Okay. And are you going to continue to do it?
CALLER: No, sir. I've already told my dispatch that under no circumstances, will I be crossing that bridge again. I won't go into New York State, much less the city.
GLENN: Wow. So what was dispatch's reaction to that?
Did you get any heat?
(laughter)
CALLER: No. I actually got, oh, another one.
It seems like, about -- between 20 and 25 percent of our drivers have refused to go into taking any loads into New York City anymore.
GLENN: Now, will that make a difference? 25 percent?
CALLER: The thing is, I work for a multi-national company. Huge company. And they will resort to using outside drivers and paying more.
Roger in Alabama. Hello, Roger.
CALLER: Yeah. Hey, I drove into the city, probably a couple times a week, delivering fresh seafood from the gulf. From Louisiana and Alabama and Mississippi. And for me, to drive into New York City, it's a pain.
But it pays well. But so, I'm not going to do that anymore. And as far as being able to recoup the loss, you know, for -- from what I will be able to find. Going anywhere.
I will book my own freight. Finding loads are easy.
Some of the other drivers I could talk about. Is the -- the drivers that are coming around have no experience, that are willing to drive into the city -- who will have a terrible time. I mean, being in New York City, if a bunch of independent truck drivers start doing this, New York City will pitch a fit real quick. But it really won't hurt the trucking industry you know, at all. Because there's such a demand for drivers. And experienced drivers who are independent who run their own truck and run their own business, they won't have a problem.
GLENN: I have to tell you.
CALLER: If we can survive the fuel problem, a couple years ago, we can survive this.
GLENN: I have to tell you, if you don't know -- if you've never driven in New York City, especially with an 18 wheeler, you are screwed.
I mean, it is really tough to get around. I don't know how you guys do it in New York.
I really don't.
CALLER: Well, some of the new inexperienced guys, they can't. That's just it. They cannot do it. They just can't. They're crashing into bridges and turning up neighborhoods. They just can't do it.
I have known some people that had 5 and 10 years of experience have trouble driving through the city. It's not easy. But it can be done. But it's not going to be done by me anymore. Just like California. I don't take loads to California. And pretty much -- the northeast. Sorry, I ain't doing them.
GLENN: Good for you.
So, Roger, what is the feel on how many will take, to be able to affect New York?
CALLER: I don't know of a number of how many of it will take. But the length of times, will surely take effect. Even if they still get goods into New York City, by some of the drivers, it will cost a lot of money. It will cost a lot of money. First, they will feel a loss of -- because, one, it's not just groceries. It's everything that is sold in a store, that comes into New York City, on a truck.
GLENN: Yeah. I know. Yep. Yep.
All right. Thank you so much, Roger.
Let me go to Scott in Massachusetts. Hey, Scott.
CALLER: Hey, Glenn. First time, long time.
GLENN: Thank you.
CALLER: Hey, yeah. I'm not going to New York City. Cost hundred some odd bucks. I think it's $130 across the bridge. And I can look down through the potholes and see traffic on the layer below. And you get in there. The last time I made a delivery there, I got a -- it was in Manhattan. And I -- my truck takes up six parking spaces. And I haul construction materials.
So they will take it up to the top of the building, right? To the roof. Styrofoam insulation.
So they told me, hey. Park on the side of the road, in Manhattan. I had to double park.
So the cops came along, gave me a ticket. 250-dollar ticket for parking. $250 for blocking the bike lane.
I'm like, what the heck? So the same thing happens in DC.
They'll, actually -- I've dealt with the FBI and the police. And they say, just move up somewhere else.
And it's -- you know, it's no problem there. So, yeah. No. I don't need to go to New York. You'll get the scrubs and the dudes that haven't done it, haven't been working a lot of time in there. And let's be honest, that will be even better.
GLENN: Yeah. It will.
CALLER: Because those guys can't turn or back up. So you will have accidents. You are going to have traffic tied up. You have guys who can't back up or can't turn.
You know, this is their first car. Let them have them. You know.
GLENN: Scott, thank you very much.
Yeah. Let me go to Jason. Jason you're in Maine?
CALLER: Yeah. I'm on the way to -- as we speak, I have a load of lumber on. Going over to Byron off 84 right by Fishkill. But I -- ever since day one, since I started driving a truck, I never -- I refused to go to New York City. It's a big pain. But I have been looking at this, and trying to figure out if there's any truth to it. But I couldn't wait for this morning to listen to you, to see.
A lot of times, you'll hear things like this. You don't know how much truth to it is.
But I'm a 100 percent Trump supporter, and I have no shame in admitting it. And I have not bringing this truck. That's a blessing, being owner and operator. I don't have to take any loans, if I don't want to.
GLENN: Good for you.
CALLER: Like the other guys -- the other guys, sometimes they don't have an option. It's their only job.
It will hopefully make an impact. And hopefully will make a statement, that, you know, hey. We're not going to tolerate this. Because something needs to be done, Glenn.
Jay in Ohio. Hello, Jay.
CALLER: Hey, how is it going, Glenn?
GLENN: Good.
CALLER: Yeah. Every Monday, I -- I live in the Corpus area. I head to Manhattan. And that's not happening today.
GLENN: Really? And what did -- what did your bosses say?
CALLER: It's funny, because he's very liberal.
But he -- but pretty much everybody in his company is not.
I already told him.
And he kept justifying it. You know, they're doing the whole thing. Where every vehicle crosses over and gets taxed and everything. So it helps out in the long run.
Okay. Cool.
But I obviously wasn't going to do it anyway.
GLENN: So how many people, around you, or in your company, are doing it?
CALLER: There's two other drivers that go to not exactly Manhattan. But they go to Long Island and stuff.
And they're kind of hem-hawing about it, and stuff.
So it's -- but they were not a big company.
GLENN: Right.
CALLER: But I've been in this company for ten years. So it is what it is. And I'm like, eh, that's fine.
I have no problem.
GLENN: We have Chris in Georgia. Who, you have been delivering goods to New York City for how long?
VOICE: About 15 years.
GLENN: Fifteen years.
Into the city, or all of New York?
CALLER: All of New York.
GLENN: And what are your thoughts on it today?
CALLER: I'll no longer be going to New York. We're non-force dispatch. I can choose where I go, and I'm going to Georgia instead.
GLENN: So are you hearing this from a lot of -- because I've had one truck driver call in today and say, I was excited to listen to the show today, because I wanted to hear if it was just me and just a handful of people, or if this is a big deal.
CALLER: Well, I hadn't heard about the boycott, until you mentioned it.
GLENN: Really?
CALLER: Yeah. I personally made that decision, when I heard the announcement last week.
But, yeah. It's -- it's not right.
GLENN: No. It's not right. It's not right.
And this, I think is the kind of thing that Martin Luther King would have done.
This is a peaceful protest.
It's all of the individual choosing for themselves. I'm not just -- I'm not going to -- I'm not going to support that kind of activity.
Not doing it.
I commend you for it.
And it shouldn't hurt the truck drivers, at least at first.
Right?
Because there's a shortage of truck drivers.
You can drive wherever you want, pretty much, isn't it?
CALLER: Yeah. Yes.
Well, there's -- that's a tough one.
GLENN: There might be more to that.
CALLER: Well, it's -- it's hard to put in a short statement.
But there's people that -- who will -- who will go to New York, even if they don't care about the politics.
They have no intentions of staying in this country.
They're here short-term.
And that's a whole other story.
But personally, you know, this will include points beyond New York.
I will no longer be going to Connecticut, Massachusetts, and loads coming back.
Just, I'm not going to partake in any of it.
I prefer to run to western states. I don't go to California, for the same reasons.
GLENN: How about Colorado?
CALLER: Well, that's a tough one. My company is from there.
(laughter)
GLENN: All right. Hey, thank you very much, Chris. I appreciate it. God bless.
CALLER: Thank you, Glenn.
GLENN: Yeah, I'm interested to see how this works out. I mean, this is a group of people that can make a huge difference.
And we as a population, they know -- we don't ever do anything.
You know, the minute the state says, no. Boys have to go to boys bathrooms. Girls to girls bathrooms.
Which is completely common sense. They go crazy. They boycott the state. It usually has no effect. Truckers, however, can do that. And it will make a difference. Because it's already hard to move goods. And if you're not. Especially until Manhattan.
This is only ten roads in. Ten. And you're a trucker. You I think it's between I think it's 11:00 p.m. or midnight to 5:00 a.m.
And if you're a trucker and you have not driven in New York City, oh, it's going to be a nightmare. A nightmare.
But sending the message, hey. Return to the rule of law. We don't hunt people. We don't -- we don't find a person, and then find the crime.
If there's a crime, so be it. But we don't do it, based on who you are.