LEXINGTON, Va. – An American truck convoy is rolling through the nation to protest vaccine mandates.
Nearly 350 trucks will stop at Lee-Hi Travel Center in Lexington Saturday at 1 p.m. as they head to Washington D.C.
“It will be a new experience for us but it’s not anything that will really throw us for a loop,” Lee Hi Travel Center General Manager Arthur “Art” Buchkovich said.
Buchkovich said they can handle the massive load because they have hosted truck shows in the past.
But preparations are still needed.
Extra staff will be available this weekend to help maintain bathroom, laundry and truck repair facilities.
One truck driving couple at the center tells me they are making deliveries from California to Cave Spring, Virginia.
But in Oklahoma, they caught up with the truck convoy and took photos of people stopping to show support.
Virginia State Police are increasing their patrol this weekend to help mitigate the traffic.
The Pentagon is also deploying 700 unarmed National Guard troops to the nation’s capital ahead of the truck convoy’s arrival.
Buchkovich said it’s important that they show others how to support the truckers without taking a political side.
“For over 40 years, Lee has been here to provide needs for everyday drivers but also professional drivers who are the lifeblood of our nation,” he said. “We definitely respect the rights of these individuals to demonstrate the way they see fit.”
The truckers plan to leave from this travel center at 6 a.m. Sunday so they can hit the road and reach their destination in Washington D.C.