West Texas truck drivers receive unexpected response after protest

ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) -Many West Texas truck drivers were notified that they weren’t going to be working with the cargo and freight company known as 5F anymore.

The group of truckers held peaceful protests so that they can get better work hours and pay.

Instead, they were told something unexpected.

The truck drivers said their main goal isn’t to go back to working for 5F.

They want their voices to be heard and for truckers around the world to not be afraid to share their opinions.

“These things are the reason why we’re here giving these declarations. Because we’re not on the same page. We weren’t before and we never will be because we never did anything wrong.” said Emilio Del Toro one of the truck drivers.

Many of these truck drivers claim that 5F wasn’t treating them properly.

That had a list of demands that included help with payments for diesel, paid sick leave and vacation hours.

“Really bad conditions. Fourteen hours of work, fifteen hours of work, sixteen hours of work. Everyday. Without being able to go home.” said Eldys Orrellis, one of the truck drivers.

One of their biggest complaints was about having to wait hours to receive their cargo to load. Sometimes up to six hours.

Which are unpaid hours that the truckers can’t clock in.

“They don’t want to get overcharged for not coming to work because they’re sick, because their trucks went down, because of different things that happen during our life. Even if they want to spend time with their family, they wanna charge them for that? It’s unjust and it’s unfair.” said Oscar Lobos, member of Truckers Movement for Justice.

The drivers say they received a call from someone from 5F who says they are not needed because there isn’t enough work for them.

They also say that they will keep them in mind if they have more work.

However, the majority of the drivers are locked out of the application that they use to receive orders.

One of the drivers was offered a job a day before all this happened, but that quickly changed.

“And just because they saw his name the next day, 5F calls my husband saying that there was no more work for him. And I think that’s not fair.” said Helda Lugo, wife of one of the truck drivers.

Now we have contacted 5F to hear if they have a response to what the drivers are claiming, and they said at the time they have no comment.

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