Truck drivers in Savannah are protesting what they call unsafe working conditions. At a news conference Tuesday morning, truckers said long hours on the road are to blame for recent truck accidents that caused multiple deaths in the area.

Drivers are calling for the US Department of Transportation to enforce regulations that require trucking companies to limit the number of hours they can require drivers to work.

Driver Carol Cauley said companies often pressure them to work when they are fatigued, which leads to dangerous situations, and low wages keep them from being able to afford food or rest breaks.

“I actually have friends I know that have told me that they’ve fallen asleep on the road, and I’m like please slow down and they’re like well, I have to take care of my family.” She said after truck maintenance costs and fuel, they are making below minimum wage.

Cauley and other drivers also expressed condolences for the families involved in the crashes.

“Don’t make the drivers get out there and go back and forth when they know they’re out of hours and that’s what the trucking companies are doing…. And our hearts go out to the bereaved families and we pray nothing like this ever happens again.”

A federal transportation department spokesman says the agency is currently conducting a study to review time-on-the-road limitations. He says officials perform regular checks of trucking company logs to see if any are in violation of any rules.

Tags: GPB, GPB Savannah, traffic, accidents, I-16, Teamster