A Look Back at the Injustices Faced by African American Truckers in the Early Days of Semi-Trucking

For many people, the trucking industry is associated with the long-standing tradition of white drivers and the “American Dream.” But what about those who have been left out of this narrative? African Americans have a rich history in the trucking industry, but they have often been overlooked and forgotten. This blog post explores how African American truckers were treated when they first started driving semi trucks.

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The Beginnings of African American Truckers

African Americans have had a presence in transportation since before slavery was abolished. After the Civil War, some African Americans began to work as farmers, while others became teamsters or wagon drivers. These early workers carried goods from one place to another using horses and wagons, and over time they evolved into professional drivers operating semi trucks.

Due to the abundance of social media, Bell told FreightWaves, "We have grown so used to seeing people slain in the street." When a relative passed away, a comic once remarked, "There were always a bunch of people going to your house bringing a covered dish. Right now, your family member is better off than mine.

Several truck drivers have been criticizing the Black Lives Matter movement by using words like "black lives spatter" or "all lives splatter" in social media comments about demonstrators blocking highways or streets in cities around the nation.

However, it wasn't until after World War II that we saw an influx of black drivers on the roads. From 1945 to 1965, there was a massive expansion in trucking opportunities due to demand from factories across the United States that needed supplies delivered quickly and efficiently. As such, many African Americans saw an opportunity to enter into this new field and took advantage of it. Unfortunately, these new truckers were met with intense discrimination from their white counterparts who felt threatened by their presence in what had traditionally been a white-dominated industry.

Racism on the Road

From segregated restaurants to separate res