TRUCKERS' BILL OF RIGHTS

The undersigned concede the right of the Federal government to regulate commerce.
In so far as it is possible to regulate commerce without violating the rights of citizens so engaged, the undersigned demand that the Congress and States respect the following rights:

ARTICLE THE FIRST:  TRUCKERS HAVE A RIGHT TO SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

A:  Truckers and other transportation workers have a right to be free from the interference of persons endangering their safety.  They have the right to establish driving, vision, alertness and any other tests and qualifications they might require to ensure that no driver or motorist may cause the injury or death of a trucker and mechanical standards to insure no safety defect of any vehicle will cause death and injury.

B:  No law may be construed as to prevent installation of safety equipment on trucks.  There shall be no law limiting the weight, strength, or soundness in construction of trucks.  Trucks shall be designed heavy enough to be safe.  Only the size and weight of truck cargo and  the cargo compartment may be regulated and the size and numbers of axles and tires necessary to protect roads and bridges.

C:  No law shall be construed to require truckers to drive when they feel it is unsafe either do to weather, illness, or fatigue or mechanical defect.  No driver may be held liable in civil or criminal court for spoilage or lateness due to a refusal to drive and the trucker shall have redress under civil law should he or she experience retaliation, loss of income, seniority, working conditions, or favoritism in job assignments.

D:  No law shall be construed as to prevent a trucker from stopping when necessary for safety, either on the side of the road or at any other place when weather, illness, or fatigue require.  Nor shall there be any limitation on the time of such stops.  Nor shall there be any penalty for stopping unless negligence is proven to a jury of peers(other truckers) in civil court.  In addition, no law shall penalize truckers for traveling at any given speed unless ALL other motorists traveling at the same speed receive the same penalty.

ARTICLE THE SECOND:  TRUCKERS HAVE A RIGHT TO EQUAL TREATMENT UNDER THE LAW.

A:  No law shall be construed as to permit the interference with a trucker's right of liberty.  Truckers may go wherever they want whenever they want, with or without their trucks when they are off-duty.  Only organizations that control the movements of commercial cargo may be regulated.  No law shall prevent the movement of a damaged or defective vehicle to a repair shop, nor shall there be any penalty for moving vehicles to be repaired unless negligence is proven to a jury of peers(other truckers) in civil court.

B:  There shall be no exemptions regarding truckers or other transportation workers in any laws protecting civil rights, public safety or any other rights and privileges granted to any other citizen--including exemptions for truckers in the Occupational Safety Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Truckers shall be paid at least minimum wage for all hours worked from the time they arrive in the workplace to the time they leave to return home, with the exception of the time spent eating and sleeping.  Truckers shall receive additional compensation as necessary for additional costs of living resulting from absences from home that are over and above ordinary costs of living.

C:  There will be one set of driving laws for all vehicles.  There will be no special laws for special vehicles.  Only organizations that control oversize and overweight cargo may be regulated differently under the law.

ARTICLE THE THIRD:  TRUCKERS HAVE FREEDOM FROM SELF-INCRIMINATION & UNREASONABLE SEARCH

No trucker shall keep records of personal or commercial activities beyond what ordinary citizens are required to keep.  No truck shall be searched or personal papers confiscated without a search warrant when all papers detailing commercial transactions and all commercial cargo accounted for in such papers is available for inspection.  No compartment of any truck shall be searched for safety hazards unless there is evidence that an imminent danger exists inside a particular compartment.  Truckers who live in their trucks shall enjoy the same freedoms as any homeowner.

ARTICLE THE FOURTH:  TRUCKERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENCE

Truckers who live in their trucks shall enjoy the same right to keep and bear arms in their sleeping compartments as any homeowner and shall enjoy the same right to bear and transport arms as any other motorist.

ARTICLE THE FIFTH:  CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ARE INVIOLABLE

No citizen can refuse, forfeit, lose, or give up their constitutional rights by act, action, speech, consent, occupation, employment, or any other means without first being charged with a crime in a criminal court of law.  No citizen shall be delayed, detained, held or otherwise interfered with without first being placed under arrest by a lawful officer and being informed of his or her rights.