A Donald Trump-supporting trucker, known as Chicago Ray, recently made headlines by announcing his plan to refuse delivery routes to New York City in protest of a court ruling against the former president. Ray shared a video on social media, stating that he and several other drivers were planning to boycott their routes to NYC over the court’s verdict, which ordered Trump to pay over $300 million in fraud charges.
The movement gained momentum on social media, with the hashtag #TruckersForTrump trending on X.com. Ray’s message was echoed by other truckers, including “The Real Trucker Jake,” who voiced their support for the boycott. Trump himself appeared to endorse the movement by sharing a news headline about the boycott on his social media platform, Truth Social.
While the boycott has generated buzz on social media, data from FreightWaves, a company that tracks trucking news and data, has not shown any significant indications of trucking boycotts to NYC. However, if the boycott does pick up steam and disrupt routes to NYC, it could have implications for large trucking companies like XPO Inc and Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. Independent truckers refusing service to NYC could potentially drive up rates per mile on routes to the city and disrupt the supply chain, leading to potential inflationary impacts.
It remains to be seen whether the boycott will have a material impact on New York City’s supply chain, but the movement has certainly garnered attention and sparked a debate about the intersection of politics and commerce in the trucking industry. As the situation continues to unfold, stakeholders will be watching closely to see how it develops and whether it will lead to any tangible disruptions in the transportation sector.
