A video went viral on Instagram Thursday claiming that truckers in the U.S. were going on strike starting Oct. 1 to protest the price of diesel, which has skyrocketed to a national average of $6.39 per gallon, according to AAA, an all-time high. The price a year ago was $3.70, so it’s easy to see why truckers are upset.
But is there any truth to the idea that truckers are going to go on strike? There doesn’t appear to be any real coordination for a strike, and most truckers aren’t unionized. Gizmodo found AI-generated images on various corners of Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube where the claim appeared to originate. But that doesn’t mean that a strike won’t happen. Because when an idea spreads quickly online like this, there’s always the possibility that it could inspire real-world action.
The viral video about a truckers’ strike was created by a right-wing creator called Red Pill Patriot 1776, though a repost by SecretServiceSam has generated more views on Instagram. Red Pill Patriot 1776 has other videos suggesting Israel was behind the killing of Charlie Kirk and how you should treat cancer with ivermectin (you should not do that, in case it’s not clear). His post about the strike appears to be his most viewed by far.
Truck drivers fed up with Trump's high diesel prices are staging a boycott and parking their rigs.
Things are about to get real.
Stock up on as many groceries and essentials as you can.
Things could get really ugly very quick. pic.twitter.com/Pjl0hQzvmK
— ThePatrioticBlonde™🇺🇸 (@ImBreckWorsham) September 17, 2026
“In the trucking world, they put out a deal to strike until the fuel prices drop,” the creator said in the video dated Sept. 15. He didn’t explain what “put out a deal” might mean.
Red Pill Patriot then went on to say, “Shut down October 1st. Park it. Stand together,” which has appeared on anonymous AI-generated images on Facebook promoting a strike.
“What have I been telling you?” he continued. “Make sure you got enough fucking food for a month to three months, even six months. Shit’s gonna hit the fan. Shit is hitting the fan currently.” Other videos commenting on the rumor of a strike have claimed 50,000 truckers have pledged to participate.
Obviously, it would be a big deal if truckers went on strike, since it would massively disrupt supply chains in the U.S. But there’s no evidence that 50 truckers have pledged to strike on Oct. 1, let alone 50,000. At least not yet.
Truckers have taken to Instagram to talk about the potential of a strike, but there appear to be few people pledging to actually engage in some kind of labor action. “I ain’t heard nothing about it,” one trucker named Larry Cothran said on Instagram.
There were some people who appeared to be truckers in a Facebook group called Box Truck Hub who really liked the idea of a strike. “I remember the strike in the late 70s and it’s beyond time for the next one,” one user wrote. “It won’t be easy every body but drivers can get what they want you just have to stick together,” the user continued.
Thousands of independent truckers did stage a strike in 1979 when the Iranian revolution caused a global disruption in oil supplies. Truckers who tried to defy the strike and continue delivering goods were shot at and targeted with stones in 20 states, according to reporting from the Washington Post at the time.
Where did this idea of a new strike on Oct. 1 originate? There appears to be a lot of AI-generated content of dubious origin calling for a nationwide strike over recent days. There have also been AI-generated images claiming that the strike will actually start Sept. 18 rather than Oct. 1.
Some of the AI images called for a strike to start on Sept. 17 but said it was a Tuesday. Sept. 17 was actually a Wednesday.
One of the oldest posts of the AI image at the top of this article appears to have popped up on r/Truckers on Sunday with the caption “shut down,” though it contains the note: “Just passing it along. I did not create this flyer.” The Reddit thread did not appear to have much support for a strike, unlike on Facebook. One commenter wrote, “Heck yeah…. All you guys put it in park, October 1st my rates are doubling.”
There also appears to be at least one AI-generated image calling for Canadian truckers to strike that’s been posted to Facebook in two locations: a page called Stand United Canada and a group called 905 Big Rigs.
Whether truckers actually strike or not, there’s no question about what’s caused the massive spike in fuel prices. On Feb. 28, President Donald Trump launched a war with Israel against Iran that effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil flows. The U.S. is reportedly protecting some tankers transiting the Strait, but far fewer are getting through than before the war.
That’s caused a big jump in prices at the pump for both gasoline and diesel. The national average for a gallon of gas is $4.43, according to AAA. Before the Iran War started, it was $2.98. And President Trump has no plan to end the war, as it’s becoming increasingly clear that the U.S. has no more cards to play. Many U.S. bases in the region have been decimated, and Iran can continue to strike tankers as long as it has drones and missiles to launch. Iran is still producing more missiles while American munitions are running dangerously low, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Trucker on skyrocketing diesel prices:
We can't continue to run like this. Semi trucks can carry up to 220 gallons of diesel fuel, which costs $1,320. So if diesel goes up, that's going to mean shipping costs go up. pic.twitter.com/GL3VzGedpP
— FactPost (@factpostnews) September 17, 2026
It’s unlikely that a truckers’ strike would do anything to bring diesel prices down, given the fact that Trump’s war in Iran is the reason prices have become so high. But a strike could help truckers negotiate better pay, if that’s what they’re after. Unionization would be the best route to accomplish that, and less than 20% of truckers are members of a union, according to FreightWaves, down from 50% in the 20th century.
If truck drivers do engage in collective action, it could grind the U.S. economy to a halt. But it remains to be seen whether they could actually make that happen, given the number of truckers who would potentially scab without some kind of consequences that could be imposed by unions. It’s not 1979 anymore. Truckers seem unlikely to start shooting guns at each other over this.
